The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with top blockchain and tech firms to launch a distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform for distribution of info related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO is collaborating with IBM, Oracle, enterprise-level blockchain-powered platform provider Hacera and IT behemoth Microsoft in this venture. Together, they are launching a new blockchain platform, dubbed MiPasa. It is designed as a COVID-19 information highway, using the Hyperledger Fabric.
Jonathan Levi, CEO of Hacera, the company that built the platform said MiPasa aimed at facilitating “early detection of COVID-19 carriers and infection hotspots.” The platform would also pave the way for “fully private information sharing between individuals, state authorities and health institutions.”
MiPasa to predict trends
According to the official website of MiPasa, it “can help monitor and foresee local and global epidemiological trends. And detect likely asymptomatic carriers. By feeding big data on infection routes and occurrences to powerful AI processors around the world.”
The venture benchmarks separate location and health info are ‘partitioned’ on the platform to collect worldwide impressions. It is also set to guarantee patient seclusion with MiPasa calling the platform as a “verifiable information highway.”
The platform also plans to come out with a series of analytics tools, to be made freely accessible.
IBM blockchain in the limelight
Incidentally, several applications based on blockchain technology has come into existence in light of the recent Coronavirus pandemic. Speaking about IBM’s endeavors, their CTO, Gari Singh, pointed out that it was essential to “kickstart a consortium” soon.
“We started off brainstorming ideas on how to collect, provide and use verified information about the virus,” said Singh. “It’s not that we were trying to force blockchain into this solution, but we thought we need to replicate data. We need to have trusted sources, we need to make sure it can’t be tampered with.”
Regarding MiPasa, IBM plans to use the Call for Code initiative to power the platform. This can help to easily create necessary tools to stem the COVID-19 crisis.
Jump start your 2020 #CallforCode solution for #COVID19 with easy-to-understand starter kits. We've created three starter kits with use cases, tools and resources to help you address the impact of this global pandemic. https://t.co/rIafvZm1Vt pic.twitter.com/vGCqHRfMz0
— IBM Developer (@IBMDeveloper) March 30, 2020
“You could also think of a simple set of applications for the drive-through testing,” the IBM Blockchain CTO added.
Several national health associations, including US, European, and Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, are giving support to the venture. Other notable participants involved are the Government of Canada and Johns Hopkins University. Besides, the Hong Kong Department of Health and China’s National Health Commission will also take part.