Algorand and SEWA Join Forces to Launch Digital Health Passport Initiative for Women’s Empowerment

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin Last updated Jul 15, 2024

Algorand Foundation’s India arm, AlgoBharat, launches a blockchain-based Digital Health Passport solution in partnership with Lok Swasthya SEWA, the health team of Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).
SEWA Shakti Kendras will serve as hubs for women to access their digital health passports and receive support in navigating and accessing health services and other entitlements.

AlgoBharat, the Algorand Foundation’s India initiative, announced plans for the development of a Digital Health Passport in partnership with Lok Swasthya SEWA. The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the details of a blockchain-based solution that will provide users with a secure and immutable record of their verified credentials in order to more efficiently access critical health benefits and social safety net programs. The new solution will allow SEWA’s growing network of community centres, SEWA Shakti Kendras, to more rapidly scale and target their services based on each household’s unique needs.

Each SEWA Shakti Kendra (SSK) provides vital information on health and related services, collects and validates documents manually to access entitlements, and then transfers and consolidates the individual-level data in spreadsheets on the nearly 34,000 households (and 200,000 individuals) it currently reaches. The Digital Health Passport will reduce manual errors while maintaining each woman’s information in a secure manner that is compliant with India’s new Personal Identifiable Information regulations. Blockchain’s security features will further ensure that SEWA members can retain control over their own identities, protecting their data from unauthorised access and tampering. Lok Swasthya SEWA will also gain a macro view of the demographic details of the growing population it serves, allowing it to more effectively target its services to informal women workers and their families.

India has made significant strides toward achieving the goal of universal health coverage through the Ayushman Bharat programme, including the Digital Health Mission, the establishment of thousands of Health and Wellness Centres across the country, and launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance program. Awareness of and access to these important programs, however, remains a challenge for millions in India’s large informal labour force. The hurdles to accessing care can be particularly steep for women involved in the informal economy, especially in obtaining and ensuring the safekeeping of their documents. The Digital Health Passport will allow SEWA Shakti Kendras to leverage their strong position with informal women workers and their families to more rapidly enrol SEWA members into critical health and social protection programs that help them stay healthy, work and earn.

Mirai Chatterjee, Director of SEWA Social Security, said “This collaboration will aid the work of the SEWA Shakti Kendras by encouraging thousands of women workers to more actively participate in their healthcare journey. By offering them secure access to their documents and thereby to the health care that they are eligible for, we are hopeful for improved health outcomes and ultimately a sense of ownership and confidence that will help them achieve economic empowerment and self-reliance.

Anil Kakani, VP and India Country Head at Algorand Foundation said, “India’s large informal workforce routinely faces challenges in accessing the government programs that have been established to meet their basic health care needs. Research shows that these programs help informal women workers stay healthy and able to work. It’s a privilege for us at Algorand to partner with Lok Swasthya SEWA in delivering a blockchain solution that will help improve healthcare access and outcomes for working women and their families. This collaboration highlights the power of blockchain in creating a more inclusive economy and helps deliver on the vision laid out over half a century ago by SEWA’s founder, Ela ben Bhatt. ”

The Digital Health Passport solution, built on the Algorand blockchain, will ensure the tamper-proof storage and easy retrieval of critical documents and health data, empowering women to manage their health information effectively, regardless of the healthcare facility they visit. The collaboration between AlgoBharat and Lok Swasthya SEWA showcases another powerful real-world application of blockchain technology.