HumanCoop Selects Identy.io Deploys Offline Biometrics for Undocumented Patients in North Africa

Humanitarian organisation HumanCoop has partnered with identity technology firm Identy.io to roll out facial biometric verification tools aimed at improving healthcare delivery for undocumented patients in northern Mauritania.

The initiative targets communities where a lack of formal identification has long prevented the creation of consistent medical records, limiting treatment continuity and follow-up care. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 350,000 people across North Africa and the Middle East have no official proof of identity or nationality, a gap that directly affects access to healthcare and other essential services.

HumanCoop operates medical missions in the Tiris Zemmour region, particularly in Bir Mogrein, where its volunteer teams conduct between 600 and 1,200 consultations per mission and support more than 2,500 people. Surgical outreach is also carried out in Zouerate. Until now, many patients attending repeat consultations without documentation were registered as new cases, resulting in fragmented medical histories and reduced treatment accuracy.

Under the new agreement, Identy.io will provide HumanCoop with contactless facial biometric verification that works entirely offline. Patient data is captured and processed directly on mobile devices without requiring internet connectivity or cloud storage — a critical feature for remote Sahara locations and for protecting the privacy of vulnerable populations.

The system will allow healthcare workers to uniquely identify patients even when they lack formal documents, enabling the creation of longitudinal medical records and reducing duplicate registrations. Faster access to patient histories is also expected to shorten consultation times and improve diagnosis and treatment planning.

An initial implementation phase will begin in Bir Mogrein during two medical missions, where teams will register patients and build a biometric database integrated with existing clinical records. The technology will then be expanded to other operational areas, including Zouerate, alongside training for local staff and volunteers. HumanCoop says it will also introduce continuous monitoring to measure improvements in identification accuracy, service delivery times and patient follow-up.

Identy.io, founded to combat identity fraud through mobile biometrics, processes facial and fingerprint data using smartphone cameras and stores credentials locally on the device to minimise exposure to cyber risks. Beyond its commercial applications, the company has partnered with social organisations including The Exodus Road, which works to prevent human trafficking, and My Family ID, a mobile platform for capturing digital credentials for children and older persons in case of disappearance.

Jesús Aragón, CEO of Identy.io, said the collaboration reflects a broader shift in the role of biometrics beyond security and financial services. “We believe biometrics is becoming a global standard that can support underserved communities. Working with HumanCoop gives purpose to our technology by improving living conditions for thousands of people,” he said.

HumanCoop President Ignacio Calatayud added that the partnership will enable more personalised care. “People have always been our priority. This technology allows us to operate more efficiently, tailor treatments to each patient’s history and strengthen trust in the healthcare system,” he said.

For humanitarian healthcare providers operating in remote and low-resource environments, the deployment of offline digital identity tools could mark a significant step toward more consistent, data-driven patient care while safeguarding sensitive personal information.