WHO Proposes Digitising Covid-19 Status Records

The digital documentation of Covid-19 certificates has been proposed as a mechanism by which a person’s Covid-19 related health data can be digitally documented via an electronic certificate, the World Health Organisation said in a statement.

The certificate can be used in the same way as a paper-based vaccination record/card. It will provide information to health care providers about the vaccination status of individuals, providing a basis for health workers to offer a subsequent dose and/or appropriate health services as appropriate.

In some instances, vaccination cards are also used to facilitate international travel, for example in the case of yellow fever, where a vaccination certificate may be required by some countries as a condition of entry.

As of August 30, 2021, a total of 7,744,504 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed across Africa, of which 194,733 proved fatal and 6,860,696 resulted in recovery.