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INTEROPERABILITY
PRANA · 2026
IDENTITY

Understanding ABHA

For the first time, patients in India can have a single, portable health identity that follows them across hospitals, clinics, and labs, regardless of which systems those providers use. ABHA makes this possible.

Prana Research|May 2026|4 min read
Understanding ABHA

ABHA Address & ABHA Number

ABHA consists of two complementary components that together form a patient's digital health identity:

  • ABHA Address (format: name@abdm) - A human-readable username that patients use to access, manage, and share their digital health records. Functions as a healthcare-specific identity handle.
  • ABHA Number (14-digit unique identifier) - Issued after KYC verification via Aadhaar. Multiple ABHA Addresses can be linked to a single ABHA Number, providing a verified, government-linked health identity.

Why ABHA matters

ABHA is the entry point to the entire ABDM ecosystem. Without ABHA, patient records cannot be linked, consented, or shared. For hospitals, enabling ABHA at patient registration is Milestone 1 of ABDM compliance, and the foundation of all subsequent interoperability.

ABHAABHA numberABHA addressdigital health identity
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