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UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention Instigates First-Ever Blockchain Network

On September 18, the Ministry of Health and Prevention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it had established a blockchain system intended at sharing and saving assessment information among health practitioners, such as technicians, pharmacists, nurses, and doctors.

The Ministry proclaims that blockchain technology will transform this sector by improving data integrity and efficiency. Additionally, the costs and time spent will be reduced. The network will cover health practitioners both in the public and private areas.

According to Awad Saghir Al Ketbi, the Ministry’s Under-Secretary, the health network will be instrumental in propelling the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 whose objective is the adoption of blockchain technology in at least 50% of government undertakings by 2021.

Al Ketbi notes:

“The Ministry has successfully developed the necessary infrastructure for a blockchain-based decentralized database. In the first stage, we will link the system of evaluation of health workers with public and private health authorities and other relevant institutions to create a single digital platform with access to the portfolio of health professionals.”

Similar sentiments are shared by the Health Ministry’s Director of Information Technology, Mubaraka Ibrahim, who asserts that blockchain technology will be instrumental in information consistency and validation. As a result, trust and transparency in the nation’s healthcare sector will be inevitable.

Image via Shutterstock

Blockchain Against Corona: How the World Health Organization Uses DLT Compared to the Rest of the Globe

With disruptive technology including blockchain being continuously deployed to tackle the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen to partner with leading technology and blockchain companies to build a distributed ledger technology-based platform to share data. These companies include IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and decentralized platform Hacera.

The platform, MiPasa will be utilizing IBM’s enterprise-grade blockchain Hyperledger Fabric. With its analytic tools and sources of data, the project aims to help citizens and public health officials to track coronavirus infection hotspots. It was also emphasized the data analytics and privacy tools do not collect any personal information from its users but at the same time alert the users if they were in the vicinity of anyone infected with the coronavirus.

According to the MiPasa website, a number of national health institutions are collaborating in the WHO’s project, including the Hong Kong Department of Health, the US and Chinese Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China.

MiPasa describes the platform as a “verifiable information highway,” and that the platform “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.”

Tech against Corona

The “Tech against Corona” initiative was launched by a consortium of Dutch companies to provide the Dutch government with access to disruptive technology including blockchain to be used to fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

Tymlez, a blockchain firm based in the Netherlands is providing its services and technologies to the government free of charge. The blockchain platform aims to “model the medical goods ecosystem through a platform that matches supply and demand.” Blockchain’s innate transparency feature would be leveraged across the supply chain to prevent price gouging of medical supplies.

Cyberspring, a cybersecurity firm has offered its security services to hospitals, while Taxion, an information security firm will set up online systems to organize volunteer workers.

Proving you don’t have coronavirus

Elastos DMA, a blockchain company based in Shanghai, has been developing an app that distributes information related to the coronavirus on blockchain. It has been common in China when entering a building or institution, each person’s body temperature is checked and a QR code shows that they have not visited any infected areas within 14 days.

Elastos DMA believes that there is still room for improvement with the system as all the data relies on centralized databases as this method of health check could put security guards at risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

The app developed by Elastos, called GreenPass records information regarding drug tests, body temperatures, and travel history on a blockchain. Distributed ledger technology was chosen due to its immutable and tamper-proof nature.

Monitoring blockchain by the PHBC

The Public Health Blockchain Consortium (PHBC) has announced the launch of a monitoring blockchain aimed to verify communities and workplaces that are free from the coronavirus COVID-19, as well as other high-risk viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The Consortium consists of health authorities, universities, healthcare providers, and innovators who aim to collect and store anonymous health data on the blockchain, to improve the lives of people in the world. The blockchain monitor would help identify safe zones where there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Data would be stored and updated in real-time using blockchain, and the information will be received from surveillance providers who use a combination of technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and geographical information systems.

However, coronavirus tracking and surveillance, depending on the process, may have consequences for the protection of personal data privacy.

Blockchain Allowed 17 Million People to Travel Between Macau and China During Coronavirus

Despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic bringing the travel industry to a standstill, a blockchain-powered QR health code system has enabled at least 17 million people to travel between China and Macau, an autonomous region off the south coast of China, since May.

Mutual healthcare network

China’s southern Guangdong province and Macau have been using a mutual QR health code network powered by blockchain technology to aid travel between the two regions as COVID-19 has jeopardized travel worldwide.

The system has empowered both sides to authenticate travelers’ health status without directly exchanging personal data. As a result, ensuring that the local privacy laws are followed.

As per the announcement:

“Health authorities in Chinese mainland and Macau need to verify the health information submitted by users crossing the border and yet they are not supposed to exchange data directly with each other to stay in compliance with their corresponding regulations.”

Aiding cross-border travel

The health code system is developed by WeBank, a fintech developer associated with Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, and FISCO BCOS, a Chinese open-sourced blockchain platform.

Blockchain is instrumental in encrypting the personal health information and identification of travelers. As a result:

“Health authorities on both sides are able to verify whether travelers are in good health and have been in contact with any known Covid-19 cases without actually accessing personal data, thus complying with privacy regulations on both sides of the border that prohibit the direct exchange of such information.”

The travel sector has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, blockchain technology is continuously being adopted to help this industry stand back on its feet.

For example, Hainan, a southern island province of China, is keeping a watchful eye on a blockchain-enabled points reward program aimed at promoting tourism in the region. It intends to utilize the blockchain-based system to get back on track in the tourism sector following disrupted travel triggered by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

CUHK Pairs with ConsenSys To Launch Blockchain-based Covid Digital Health Passport

A blockchain solution-based digital health passport has been launched for trial to record all Covid-19 related activities, such as Covid-19 test results, vaccination status and immunity, in a decentralised and private manner.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and an Ethereum technology company-ConsenSys have launched a digital health passport called “Medoxie Covid-19”. Multiple functions are included, such as temperature checks and vaccinations status in this mobile app.

Users can register their accounts in bilingual language, including English and Chinese. In addition, validated users are enabled to store their data through these mobile apps and share their own Private Health Information (PHI) to third parties, such as medical staff in hospital and clints.

“This COVID-19 blockchain passport uses trusted blockchain technology to protect user data, making it verifiable and secure,” says Dr. Arafet Ben Makhlouf, Senior Technical Architect of ConsenSys. Dr Marten Brelen, Associate Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology of CUHK, as the principal investigator, also welcomed the partnership and said the developed blockchain digital health passport could “support the fight against the pandemic”.

The digital passport has been built using ConsenSys Quorum and Codefi Orchestrate technology, which leverages the Ethereum blockchain technology. The platform claims that it only allows limited and consented access to patients’ health information for protecting personal data privacy.

ConsenSys said the new passport would enable academic at CUHK to perform large scale data analysis for studying the impact and longevity of immunity following vaccinations with the assistance of blockchain technology with big data.

SWEAT: The Token to Convert Steps, Movement into Crypto

Sweatcoin plans to inspire people to live healthier lives by introducing a new token.

The London-based tech company’s SWEAT: The Token will be launched at the Paris Blockchain Week Summit which starts on April 13.

According to Sweatcoin, the idea behind the token is to launch a global currency based on the value of steps and movement and the cryptocurrency will be minted purely by steps.

Sweatcoin’s design is primarily to incentivise people’s health. It is a pioneering idea to empower people to improve their health and get paid for it.

Currently, Sweatcoin is the only mobile application available in the market that pays people to walk.

According to the company’s report, Sweatcoin’s 60 million users walk an average of 20% more after downloading the app.

The company has planned to give an opportunity this summer to over 63 million Sweatcoin users – who have walked over 20 trillion steps together – to connect their in-app Sweatcoins matched 1:1 with SWEAT tokens at a token generation event (TGE) timed. The event will be one of the biggest onboarding of people into crypto in history.

The SWEAT token will be issued by the Sweat Foundation.

“We’re turning movement into a valuable, recognisable currency with SWEAT: the token, and for those that are new to the space, it’s a little-to-no-financial-risk option to get on board and gain access to an asset that’s becoming increasingly harder to mint, helping us to achieve the mission of making the world more physically active by unlocking the value of movement,” said Oleg Fomenko, Co-founder at Sweatcoin.

Sweat will be running on the eco-friendly NEAR blockchain and the NEAR Foundation is also investing in the project.

Other investors include Electric Capital, Spartan Capital, Jump Crypto, OKX Blockdream Ventures (the venture arm of OKX) and GSR, as well as high-profile founders and builders like Terra founder Do Kwon, Sandeep Nailwal, Founder of Polygon (MATIC) and Bjorn Wagner, Co-Founder of Parity (Polkadot).

DEVITA Goes Live on Polygon for Equitable Healthcare and Speedy Data Transmission

To maximize healthcare operations and processes through the latest innovations in the non-fungible token (NFT) and decentralized identification (DID) technologies, DEVITA has joined the Polygon network.

As a blockchain-based health data platform, DEVITA ensures data sovereignty as users’ health records are transmitted, exchanged securely, and stored in a decentralized way.

Polygon (MATIC), an interoperability layer-2 scale solution for Ethereum-compatible blockchains, improves speed and tackles transaction complexities on blockchain networks using multiple tools.

By leveraging the Polygon network, DEVITA intends to attain lightning-fast data access and transmission and lower transaction costs. As a result, provide users with personal data management and equitable healthcare.

Eric Choi, DEVITA’s co-founder, noted:

“From the beginning, it was clear to us that Polygon’s fast transaction speeds and low fees would be indispensable to achieving our goals. Joining the Polygon network marks an important milestone in our journey.”

He added:

“Ultimately, our vision is to create the intersection between blockchain technology and the right to better healthcare because that is what we find meaningful. Polygon’s network, with its capabilities, can be seen as the highway upon which that endeavor truly commences.”

DEVITA also uses an ERC-1155 NFT token (ONE-ID) that renders decentralized data ownership by giving users universal control and access over their encrypted data.

The polygon network has been making notable strides, given that it is home to at least 130 million addresses and more than 7,000 decentralized apps (dApps). Furthermore, it has processed nearly 1.5 billion transactions.

Polygon is also utilized by leading brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Aave, and OpenSea.

Robinhood, an American financial services company, recently rolled out more crypto offerings, including Polygon, to meet customer requests, Blockchain.News reported.

Rehab Centers Add Services for Crypto Trading Addicts

A high-end rehabilitation facility in Spain has lately begun offering treatment for an addiction to cryptocurrency trading, which is a relatively fresh kind of addiction.

The institution, named “The Balance,” is a Switzerland-founded wellness centre, with its main location situated on the Spanish island of Mallorca along with subsidiaries in London and Zurich.

While it has long treated addictions such as alcohol, narcotics and mental health, it just started providing therapies geared towards fighting crypto trading addiction, according to a report from the BBC.

The Feb. 5 article indicated that one of the center’s customers sought out so that he could “wean off crypto” after apparently pouring in $200,000 worth of transactions per week.

The treatment requires a stay of four weeks and consists of various therapies, massages, and yoga sessions. The bill might be upward of $75,000.

In another area of the globe, Castle Craig Hospital — a Scottish-based addiction rehabilitation clinic treating high-adrenaline crypto traders since 2018 — has seen over 100 clients come in with “dangerous” cryptocurrency issues.

Diamond Rehabilitation, a wellness facility situated in Thailand that began operations in 2019, is one of the establishments in Asia that has launched services devoted to the rehabilitation and treatment of bitcoin addiction.

The business claims it addresses recovery via the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Psychodynamic Theory (PT), as part of its comprehensive, multi-stage strategy to assist traders conquer their addiction.

It is claimed that the ecstatic highs and shattering lows of the fast-paced, 24 hours a day, seven days a week arena of cryptocurrency trading have brought about a genuine need for rehabilitation clinics that provide assistance for those who are addicted to trading.

According to an article published by Family Addiction Specialist and based on statistics regarding gambling disorders, it is estimated that approximately one percent of cryptocurrency traders will develop a severe pathological addiction, while ten percent will experience other problems in addition to a loss of financial capital.

According to a Family Addiction Specialist, one of the symptoms of this addiction is a persistent need to check the prices online, especially in the middle of the night.

Father of two facing the dire prospect of losing his family forever

After surreptitiously accumulating up $180,000 in debt as a result of his crypto trading activities, a man who admits to being addicted to cryptocurrency trading and who is also a father of two faces the terrifying potential of losing his family for ever.

Reddit user “u/Leather Opposite2135” posted his account on the forum r/relationship advice on February 21. In the post, the user indicated that he began experimenting with trading cryptocurrencies around the year 2021.

Fast forward another two years, and we find him living on the street now, having been booted out of the house by his wife and owing at least $180,000 in debt.

“At first, it was nothing more than a hobby,” said Leather. Since it deals with technology, I thought that aspect of it to be rather fascinating. Joined a number of online communities, including Discord, and after some time, saw a few individuals engaging in bitcoin trading. Afterward, I was instantly hooked.

After just one year, he had already “burned” a total of $50,000 by trading cryptocurrencies, with the majority of the monies lost coming from his software company.

“Fast ahead another year, and it got very awful,” said Leather, adding that his addiction had begun to take root as he began to support his trading via other methods, such as personal loans and credit cards. “Skip forward another year and it became really bad,” added Leather.

“I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I found all kinds of methods to finance it, including acquiring personal loans, credit cards, and lying about all of it,” the speaker says. “I’m sure you’ve heard it before.”

“I gambled on my phone when I went to the restroom, while the kids were asleep, and on my computer when I wasn’t busy working,” the gambler said. “When I wasn’t busy working, I was gambling on my phone.”

Leather said that around three weeks ago he finally told his wife the truth about the debt they owed. His wife did not react well to the news and threatened to divorce him and seize control of the home they shared together.

Since then, he has cut himself off from the cryptocurrency market, given his wife management of their trading accounts, and has been meeting weekly with a gambling addiction counselor. However, he admits that it was initially difficult for him to break the addiction to gambling.

“Emotionally, the first two weeks were a mess for me. I was all over the place. I had to quit something cold turkey that I spent at least ten hours a day doing. While all this was going on, a still little voice on my shoulder kept encouraging me to go look at some charts.

Although Leather Opposite2135 has since removed the original post from Reddit, it is not the first nor the last tale to draw light on the potential consequences of being addicted to trading cryptocurrencies.

Alongside the treatment of addiction to alcohol and narcotics as well as mental health issues, rehabilitation clinics all over the globe have started offering treatment for compulsive behaviors like cryptocurrency trading addiction.

“In a manner similar to gambling, many of them will claim that it interferes with their day-to-day lives, that they spend a great deal of time thinking about it, and that as a consequence, they may also be suffering financial difficulty.”

Dr. Hronis pointed out that addiction to cryptocurrency trading is comparable to that of online gambling since both include a “easy of accessibility” that may be “very harmful for people.”

It is possible to see a person going about their typical day-to-day activities, such as going to work, spending time with family and friends, participating in hobbies, and so on, while at the same time trading alongside those activities. This indicates that a person’s addiction may genuinely progress to a significant level before anybody else in that person’s life becomes aware of it.

“Considering how recently cryptocurrency trading has emerged, I believe that therapy is still playing catch-up to some degree. “While the broad concepts of treating an addiction may undoubtedly be applied here, there are peculiarities with crypto trading that would benefit from being better understood in order to better advise clinical therapies,” Dr. Hronis noted. “There is a lot of room for improvement in this area.”

Transforming Biomedicine and Health: The Rising Influence of ChatGPT and LLMs

How is the landscape of biomedicine and health being reshaped by ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs)? Recently, a paper titled “Opportunities and challenges for ChatGPT and large language models in biomedicine and health” delves into the multifaceted role of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in the biomedicine and health sectors, highlighting their significant contributions as well as the challenges and limitations they face.

In the realm of biomedicine and health, LLMs are revolutionizing several key areas. They are instrumental in biomedical information retrieval, aiding in literature search, question answering, and article recommendation – all crucial for informed clinical decision-making and knowledge acquisition. Another significant application is in question answering systems, where these models support clinical decisions and contribute to medical education. The ability of LLMs to summarize medical texts is also noteworthy, as it helps in condensing extensive medical information into more manageable and comprehensible summaries. Information extraction is another area where these models excel, organizing unstructured biomedical text data into structured formats. Lastly, the use of LLMs in medical education marks a burgeoning area of research and development, opening new avenues for learning and training.

However, the deployment of LLMs in these high-stakes areas is not without its challenges. One major concern is the limitations of these models, particularly when applied in critical fields like biomedicine and health. Issues of fairness and bias are also prominent, as LLMs can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in their training data, which could lead to inequalities in healthcare. Privacy concerns are another significant challenge, given the sensitive nature of patient data and the potential for privacy breaches. The legal and ethical implications of using LLMs in medicine and healthcare are also subjects of ongoing debate, underscoring the need for a robust legal framework to ensure safe and accountable application of these technologies. Lastly, the document points out the difficulty in comprehensively evaluating these models, especially considering the labor-intensive and costly nature of expert evaluations required for tasks like question answering and text summarization.

In conclusion, while LLMs like ChatGPT have made remarkable strides in the field of biomedicine and health, surpassing previous methods in text generation and showing potential to revolutionize various aspects of the field, their application is accompanied by significant risks and challenges. These include fabricated information, legal and privacy concerns, and the need for exhaustive evaluations to guarantee their safety and effectiveness in sensitive domains like healthcare.