Israel plans to invest 1 billion shekels (about $287 million) in a new project that will make its nearly 9 million citizens’ health data digitally available to researchers and private companies, according to Reuters.
Israel will rely on its extant digital health database of records, which includes more than the files of 98 percent of the population, reports The Times of Israel.
Participation in the undertaking is voluntary for citizens.
“This is a major asset and we want to make it accessible to researchers and developers in order to achieve two things: one is preventive medicine, and the second is personal medicine tailored to each individual,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Reuters.
One aspect of the plan is an initiative called “Mosaic.” It will encompass a national information infrastructure project focused on genetics.
Netanyahu commented on the possibilities this project could give the country. As pointed out by The Times of Israel, he guessed that the global digital health field is worth $6 trillion. Netanyahu estimated Israel may be able to gain 10 percent of the market.
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Eli Groner, director general of the prime minister’s office, told the publication the country has a goal of making digital health “the third major growth driver for the Israeli economy,” preceded only by cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles.
In spite of its potential contributions to the field of medical research, some are worried about the privacy implications of the database.
A statement from Netanyahu noted there will be tools to protect individuals’ privacy and keep the information anonymous, according to Reuters.
Israel’s prime minister first announced the project at the World Economic Forum earlier this year.
The initiative has partnered with the Innovation Authority and the Council for Higher Education. In addition to the prime minister’s office, it’s backed by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry for Social Equality and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space.
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