North Africa: Firm Taps Biometric Tech to Boost Healthcare Access in N. Africa

Nairobi — A humanitarian initiative in northern Mauritania is leveraging biometric technology to improve healthcare access for thousands of patients without official documentation.

HumanCoop, a volunteer-led medical organisation operating in the Tiris Zemmour region, will deploy facial biometric solutions from Identy.io to identify patients during medical missions in Bir Mogrein and Zouerate. The technology will enable the creation of unique patient records for individuals lacking identity documents or nationality.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 350,000 people in North Africa and the Middle East lack official identification, complicating medical record-keeping and treatment follow-up. In many cases, undocumented patients attending multiple consultations end up with duplicate or incomplete medical histories, affecting the quality of care.

HumanCoop provides primary and specialised medical services, conducting between 600 and 1,200 consultations per mission in Bir Mogrein, alongside surgical missions in Zouerate. By integrating biometric verification tools, the organisation expects to reduce duplicate records, speed up access to patient histories and improve treatment traceability.

Identy.io's technology operates offline, processing data directly on mobile devices without cloud storage -- a critical feature for remote operations in the Sahara Desert while safeguarding the privacy of vulnerable populations.

The initial rollout will establish a biometric patient database in Bir Mogrein, with gradual expansion planned across other operational areas. Local teams and volunteers will be trained to use the system, while ongoing evaluations will assess improvements in identification accuracy, service delivery times and follow-up care.

Founded in 2020, HumanCoop focuses on delivering healthcare to underserved communities in northern Mauritania, particularly in areas beyond the reach of conventional health services.

Identy.io, which specialises in contactless mobile biometrics, has previously partnered with organisations addressing human trafficking and supporting vulnerable groups to secure digital identities.

The initiative reflects a growing trend of humanitarian organisations adopting digital identity solutions to bridge healthcare access gaps for displaced and undocumented populations.

Read the original article on Capital FM.