Malawi has become the first country within SADC region to roll out digital verification of Covid-19 to ensure the integrity of presented certificates at its boarders.

According to the Ministry of Health, the initiative is an online system aimed at authenticate and verify travellers’ Covid-19 certificates in line with the Trusted Travel framework.

It is expected to come to effect from July 1, 2021.

Speaking to YFM, Director of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Queen Dube, said the initiative will solve challenges associated with the current paper based certificate which is liable to forgery.

Dr. Dube said: “The challenge that we saw is that there were some people that were caught with fake certificate so to address this that’s why we are also introducing what is called Trusted Travel platform which is an international travel requirement.

“If you are tested at any authorised medical laboratory, instead of getting a paper certificate a digital certificate which will be sent through email,” she said.

Dube notified all the travellers that the authorized laboratories are National Microbiology Reference (CHSU), Kamuzu Central Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Zomba Central Hospital and Mzuzu Central Hospital laboratories.

Malawi is implementing the initiative in collaboration with the African Union (AU), and Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) with technical support from the PanaBIOS Consortium.

All the countries within Africa are expected to migrate to this digital platform.