Denis Nzioka is a gay rights activist based in Nairobi. Key Populations Consortium is a network of organisations serving sex workers, men having sex with men and people who inject drugs in Kenya
Why does the government want to know where you live, what you do, who you sleep with? Efforts to estimate the size, track HIV prevalence and understand HIV knowledge among key populations (men who have sex with men, sex workers and those who use or inject drugs) are welcome. So too are efforts to provide these populations with sufficient access to services. However, concerns have been raised around the use of biometric identifiers — most often fingerprints — to track participants and ensure they do not get counted twice.
Collecting and storing the biometric data of people already facing criminalisation raise ethical and human rights concerns. Many civil society and other groups have begun voicing concern about the use of biometrics to track, monitor and research their communities. And now the entire key populations network is raising the alarm over a proposal by the government — funded by the Global Fund and with technical assistance from US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief — to use biometric fingerprinting for the collection of key populations size estimates during an upcoming IBBS (Integrated Biological and Behavioural Survellance) study.
Biometric identification might improve data gathering. But in the context of same-sex criminalisation, the illegality of engaging in sex work and continued criminalisation of drug use, the insistent use of biometrics raises concerns that are insufficiently addressed in current policies. It is common knowledge that such data collection and storage is an infringement on one’s privacy and may even expose persons to legal action or violence. Already, with these concerns, which are not being addressed, trust in the health system has fallen.
Consultations with these key populations, spearheaded by community organisations, have shown that they are in full support of the IBBS study and its component of collection of size estimate. They however do not support the use of biometrics in data collection.
Furthermore, the use of biomarkers — fingerprinting, iris scanning, toe scanning — will introduce fear and uncertainty among communities already criminalised about the safety of healthcare clinics. This is in addition to other self-incriminating details such as phone number, home address, HIV status, place of work, etc, that will be used during the study. Such will only serve to drive people away from healthcare and reduce participation in the IBBS study. Read more via The Star