NEC-CORPORATION
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, NEC Corporation, and Simprints Technology Ltd. have signed a memorandum of understanding on the use of biometrics to improve immunization coverage in developing countries.
Despite enormous progress over the past two decades, there are still approximately 20 million children (*1) who do not receive a basic course of vaccines worldwide, leaving them exposed to some of the world’s deadliest diseases.
One key cause is the fact that only half of all children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa are currently registered at birth, leaving many without an official identity. This makes it difficult for health practitioners to ensure these infants get the vaccines they need at the right time.
Guided by Gavi’s experience and expertise in immunization, this new project will combine Simprints’ biometric fingerprint technology and NEC’s reinforced authentication engine to help create digital identities for children 1-5 years of age and boost immunization coverage in developing countries.
This new partnership will deploy the world’s first scalable fingerprint identification solution to give children aged 1-5 a digital ID linked to an accurate, complete medical record. All biometric records will be stored securely by Simprints, a UK-based non-profit social enterprise, after caregivers give informed consent to taking their children’s biometric data.
Implementing this plan with conventional extraction and matching engines would be very challenging, since young children’s fingerprints tend to be blurred due to their softness. NEC's fingerprint authentication engine has overcome this issue, with optimization for infant fingerprints and the use of fingerprint images taken with Simprints scanners. This combination has resulted in highly accurate authentication, with a certification rate of 99% (*2).
The three partners will begin carrying out proof of concept validation of the technology in Bangladesh and Tanzania by early 2020. If successful, the project will then progress to linking children’s digital identity with their vaccination record, helping health practitioners to track which children need to be vaccinated and when.
To date, Gavi has contributed to the immunization of over 700 million children in the world’s poorest countries, and an estimated 10 million lives have been saved.
This initiative helps to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations.
https://www.nec.com/en/press/201906/global_20190606_01.html
(*1) | Source: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance | |
(*2) | According to NEC research | |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190605006063/en/
Contact:
NEC Corporation Joseph Jasper Corporate Communications Division j-jasper(at)ax.jp.nec.com
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
SCENTMATIC's AI "KAORIUM" Debuts at THAMEEN Fragrance Launch in London's Selfridges4.7.2025 11:13:00 CEST | Press release
SCENTMATIC Inc., a leader in scent digitalization, introduced its AI-powered scent-to-language system, KAORIUM, at the THAMEEN Fragrance new product launch event. This pivotal event took place from June 5 to 11, 2025, at Selfridges department store in London, UK. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703662207/en/ State of exhibition Global Expansion: KAORIUM Establishes UK Presence Europe leads the global fragrance market, with the UK projected to reach US$2.82 billion by 2033. Recognizing this, SCENTMATIC is rapidly expanding its international footprint. In May 2024, SCENTMATIC established its overseas subsidiary, KAORIUM, in London, appointing industry expert Ben Yanoushek as CEO. Official UK operations commenced on February 1, 2025, with the launch of its dedicated website: www.kaorium.com. KAORIUM Trialed at "Florentine Diamond" Launch Event The "Florentine Diamond" launch event for luxury brand THAMEEN Frag
Andersen Consulting samarbejder med Mercurial Minds om at forbedre mulighederne inden for digital transformation4.7.2025 01:10:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting udvider sit udbud af teknologidrevne løsninger med tilføjelsen af samarbejdsfirmaet Mercurial Minds (M.M.), et konsulentfirma inden for digital transformation, AI og IT med base i Pakistan. M.M. blev grundlagt i 2013 og tilbyder en række tjenester, der er designet til at hjælpe organisationer med at udvikle sig og skalere, herunder i forbindelse med deres digitale transformationsstrategi, AI-tjenester, it-rådgivning og udvikling af robuste mobil- og webbrugeroplevelser. Firmaet leverer end-to-end-løsninger – udformning af datadrevne køreplaner, udvikling af intelligent automatisering og levering af sikre mobil- og weboplevelser, der kan skaleres – skræddersyet til virksomheder, der ønsker at forbedre sine forbindelsesmulighederne og opnå indsigter i realtid. M.M. betjener en bred vifte af brancher med fokus på finans, telekommunikation og andre dataintensive sektorer. "Dette samarbejde er en katalysator," siger Nabeel Saiyer, administrerende direktør for M.M. "Vores
Global Tourism Surging Ahead of Economic Growth, With Visits to Hit 30 Billion by 20344.7.2025 01:00:00 CEST | Press release
The World Economic Forum report, in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, predicts a significant uptick in tourist trips across the globeThe tourism sector will contribute $16 trillion to global GDP (more than 11% of the global economy) by 2034, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates (WTTC)India and China will be responsible for more than 25% of all outbound travel by 2030 The World Economic Forum has today published a new report forecasting that the travel and tourism industry is projected to serve 30 billion tourist trips by 2034. Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth, produced in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, reveals a projected $16 trillion contribution to global GDP by the same year—representing more than 11% of the total world economy, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates. The report also found that the sector is expanding 1.5 times faster th
The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition Honouring Leading Pet and Animal Brands Globally3.7.2025 21:00:00 CEST | Press release
The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition marked its fifth instalment, bringing together leading pet and animal brands from all around the world. These brands were celebrated for their outstanding achievements, earning recognition as National, Regional, and Global Winners. The awards ceremony, held at Vienna's prestigious Hofburg Palace, welcomed winners across diverse categories, including pet food, retail, wellness, pet exhibitions, and aquatic products. Mounia Berrada-Gouzi expertly hosted the evening, which culminated in a grand celebration of brand excellence. “The Animalis Edition of the World Branding Awards recognises brands that have achieved the highest distinction—genuine recognition in the hearts and minds of consumers. Tonight, we honour those whose names resonate globally, whose values inspire loyalty, and whose presence defines excellence in the pet and animal industry,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum. Out of over 950 brands nominate
Venture Global Announces 20-Year Sales and Purchase Agreement with PETRONAS3.7.2025 14:59:00 CEST | Press release
Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced the execution of a new 20-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with PETRONAS LNG Ltd. (PLL), a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, PETRONAS. Under the terms of the SPA, PETRONAS will purchase 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Venture Global’s third facility, CP2 LNG, for 20 years. This builds upon Venture Global’s existing agreement with PETRONAS for 1 MTPA of LNG supply from Plaquemines LNG. PETRONAS, a world-class partner in the LNG industry, joins other CP2 LNG customers in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world in a strategically important project to global energy supply and security. To date, approximately 10.75 MTPA of the 14.4 MTPA nameplate capacity for CP2 Phase One has been sold. About Venture Global Venture Global is a long-term, low-cost provider of U.S. LNG sourced from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global’s business includes assets ac
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom