On May 11, 2021, blockchain-based vaccine verification platform VXPASS has announced that it has been contracted by Sesiu sa Tšoele le beta Poho Fund (SESIU), the public-private partnership tasked to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a small African nation with about 2.3 million in population. Through vaccines on blockchain, Lesotho hopes to turn the tide around when it comes to the negative ramifications of COVID-19 by becoming a leader in implementing innovative technology in various government duties, such as vaccination rollout.
“The risk posed to Lesotho by the COVID-19 pandemic is immense for the country’s 2.3 million citizens. At the same time, with some imagination and innovation, there is also scope for new opportunities to emerge. It is my strong belief that VXPASS and Lesotho’s blockchain-based approach to managing our vaccine program will demonstrate the level of digital innovation evident in our country and help us take the lead with this technology across the African continent,” Dr. Catherine Lephoto, former deputy CEO for core operations of and current advisor to the National COVID-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) in Lesotho, said about the announcement.
VXPASS will be in charge of providing the digital infrastructure that will manage the administration, record-keeping, validation, and verification of all the country’s vaccination program against the coronavirus. The terms stipulate that VXPASS will handle the first 560,000 vaccinations to be rolled out by SESIU, with plans of having 1.2 million citizens vaccinated in Lesotho before the end of this year. With vaccines on blockchain, vaccination monitoring and record-keeping will be easier and more accurate.
“We are excited to work with the SESIU in their important efforts to efficiently and reliably roll out a COVID-19 vaccination program in the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is our firm belief that good data is key for a successful vaccination rollout, particularly considering the scale of both the effort and investment required. By using VXPASS, the Kingdom of Lesotho is ensuring from the outset that all data generated and captured is not only of the highest quality, but that it is publicly available on the blockchain in real-time—ensuring the utmost levels of transparency, validity, personal control, and ultimately, confidence on this road to recovery,” VXPASS founder Zachary Weiner explained.
VXPASS is utilizing the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain to store all vaccination records, which includes patient details, vaccine course, type, timing and the ensuing verification and validation that a vaccine course has been completed, meaning all doses have been administered. Because the BSV blockchain is public, it allows for the government and other public organizations to get access to vaccination data updated in real time. This makes assessing the situation of the vaccination program faster and easier. On the other hand, individual citizens who get vaccinated can download and install the VXPASS pass app on their mobile gadgets, giving them instant access and control of their vaccination record.
“Data management is an essential component in our vaccination roll-out strategy, ensuring that we are making the best and most efficient use of all available resources to our Kingdom, as we combat the ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As part of these efforts, VXPASS have provided a ready-to-use, cost-effective solution to manage the data and digital requirements of our vaccination program—both for the rollout and administration period now, as well as in the validation and verification phases in the future—as we embark on this major undertaking for Lesotho and focus on the recovery for our Kingdom, community and economy,” Phafane Nkotsi, Executive Secretary of SESIU, commented.
The BSV blockchain is the only one in the global market that has a stable set-in-stone protocol—much like the Internet protocol—and an infinitely scalable network that can handle big data and offer low-cost microtransactions. Vaccines on the blockchain are but one of its many use cases that provides the endless potential to improve the world’s systems, just like how the Internet did in the past.
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