Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zambia Advance With Digital Credentials Projects

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As the digital transformation wind keeps blowing around the world, many counties are fully engaged in the implementation of different projects that advance their plans for issuing digital credentials. While Bangladesh is planning a pilot for digital health certificates from next year, the issuance of digital birth certificates is underway in Sri Lanka, and Zambia hopes to enroll 10 million citizens to for digital IDs in the next ten years.

Digital health certificates pilot for Bangladeshis soon

The government of Bangladesh says it will soon roll out a digital heath card pilot, based on a unified biometric database, to better manage patient information.

As reported by The Daily Star, the card will replace the current system where patients have to take along physical prescription documents and personal records to health facilities.

The pilot phase of the project is expected to begin in January and the cards will be linked to an individual’s national ID or their birth certificates, as agreements have already been signed in this regard. A unique digital profile will be created for every patient.

According to the country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the digital health cards will streamline the management of information on the patient’s medical appointments, medical history, and prescribed medical tests, among others.

The head of the DGHS Medical Information service, Professor Shahadat Hossain, is quoted as saying registration for the health card will be available both online and offline.

There will be the possibility for private sector health facilities to connect to the central system using their own software.

Bangladesh is working to build an inclusive digital public infrastructure ecosystem to speed up sustainable development.

Sri Lanka to expand digital birth certificate program

Authorities in Sri Lanka earlier this month launched the country’s digital birth certificates scheme on a limited basis, with plans to extend the issuance to other districts of the country.

NewsWire reports that a first copy of the digital birth certificate was issued on December 5 during a ceremony that took place in the city of Kalutara under the auspices of the State Minister of Home Affairs, Ashoka Priyantha.

The official said the unique ID number in the digital birth certificate will be the individual’s national ID card number later in their lives.

The digital birth registration program is part of government’s plan to set up a seamless birth registration system that will enable information-sharing among state institutions using a national population registry, writes Adaderana.

Sri Lanka is seen as an example among the nations of South and Southeast Asia when it comes to digital ID and birth registration.

Zambia digital ID enrollment plan on course

Recently, Zambia undertook the third phase of a process that seeks to issue digital IDs to at least 10 million Zambians in the next decade.

Already, more than one million people have been enrolled for digital ID as part of the Integrated National Registration Information System (INRIS), ITWeb reports.

President Hakainde Hichelema is said to be fronting the project which is part of the Southern African country’s digital transformation plan.

Zambia started biometric capture for the INRIS program last year.

Philippines adds new features to digital registration platform

The Online Registration and Update Systems (Orus) now has new features. Among the features are a Tax Identification Number (TIN) and the possibility to access a digital TIN ID, according to a government circular.

The circular explains that digital TIN ID shall serve as a reference for the TIN of the taxpayer and shall be regarded and accepted as a “valid government-issued identification document for the taxpayers for their transactions with government agencies and institutions, local government units, employers, banks, financial institutions, and other relying parties, subject to authentication and verification.”

Filipinos registering for the digital tax ID must submit a facial photo that meets specifications similar to those used by the International Civil Aviation Organization for biometric matching.

Source: Biometric Update