ADDRESSING GLOBAL HEALTH INEQUALITIES
BLOCKCHAIN
The aim is to encourage more people to submit their genetic code , persuaded by blockchain ’ s secure system , which will give scientists more to work with to understand the causes of disease and develop personalised treatments .
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confidentiality of handing their DNA over to other people .
This means that the small amount of genetic code available to scientists makes it difficult to carry out meaningful research , which could be beneficial to learn more about cancer and other diseases .
Nebula , a San Francisco-based startup , offers whole genome sequencing for free to people willing to let their data be used by scientists . The analysis is stored in a blockchain so that only the DNA ’ s owner and researchers have access , with the owner ’ s authorisation .
ADDRESSING GLOBAL HEALTH INEQUALITIES
There are millions of people around the world who do not have a legal identity , and therefore don ’ t have access to healthcare services . Dr Jane Thomason , an author and associate at the Centre for Blockchain Technology at University College London ( UCL ), says that providing this group of people with a permanent , unalterable record of their identity in a blockchain that they owned themselves would be “ game-changing ”. Additionally , in countries where access to good quality medication is limited , a blockchain supply chain would allow each member to see the supplies as they move . Up to 10 per cent of drugs in low and middle income countries are either counterfeit or of poor quality , and it ’ s estimated that around 250,000 children are killed each year by consuming fake medicines .
JANUARY 2021