“Are we getting the biometric bioethics right?” – the use of biometrics within the healthcare system in Malawi

Abstract

Biometrics is the science of establishing the identity of an individual based on their physical attributes. Ethical concerns surrounding the appropriate use of biometrics have been raised, especially in resource-poor settings. A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore biometrics clients (n = 14), implementers (n = 12) and policy makers as well as bioethicists (n = 4) perceptions of the ethical aspects of implementing biometrics within the healthcare system in Malawi. Informed use, privacy and confidentiality as well as perceptions of benefits and harms were identified as major issues in the application of biometrics. Implementation of biometrics within the healthcare system in Malawi poses a range of potential ethical issues and practical challenges that impact on equitable uptake. There is a need for more research to explore the benefits and harms of biometrics in practice. Improved community engagement and sensitization should be a required component of biometrics introduction in Malawi.

What constitutes equitable data sharing in global health research? A scoping review of the literature on low-income and middle-income country stakeholders’ perspectives

“…The second author is a bioethicist currently based in New Zealand, whose research interests have focused on global health ethics since 1999. Over the past decade, she has conducted empirical ethics research on data and sample sharing and biobanking in collaboration with colleagues in Australia, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, UK and Vietnam 1 19–21 29–40. She has a longstanding interest in inequities and the exercise of power during the construction of global health data sharing landscapes and associated knowledge production processes.…”

Privacidad de la información en la investigación social de naturaleza cualitativa: la transición hacia el mundo digital

“…En este contexto adquieren especial importancia todos aquellos dispositivos digitales que derivan del desarrollo de tecnologías biométricas, tales como huellas dactilares, reconocimiento facial, reconocimiento de la voz, reconocimiento del iris, geometría de la mano, etc. Tecnologías definidas como la "ciencia de establecer y verificar la identidad de un individuo en función de sus atributos físicos, químicos o de comportamiento" (24), y orientadas a verificar la identidad de la persona que participa en la investigación y su relación con la información. De esta forma, este concepto de información supone la existencia y manipulación de las tecnologías digitales; éstas son un marco para pensar el rol de la información y su conexión con la privacidad.…”

Investigating What You Share: Privacy Perceptions of Behavioural Biometrics

“…When discussing biometrics, it is also important to note that the knowledge (or lack thereof) that a participant has may effect their understanding of the potential benefits and issues. Mwapasa et al [14] highlights the knowledge-gap between potential users of biometric systems and those who implement and write policies concerning them, particularly in countries with high illiteracy levels. As a result of this, it is important to note that users do not necessarily have all the information available to make informed choices.…”