Vula MobileA mobile health app improving eye care in rural South Africa



The enterprise’s app solution is designed to improve eye care diagnosis, treatment and specialist referrals for rural health care professionals. Practitioners can take photos, capture a brief medical history and directly communicate with specialists. The software licenses are sold to health systems administrators and NGOs, and the app is free to download.
The app improves the quality of practitioner decisions, while thoroughly documenting the process. It provides a fast and convenient way to connect rural patients, healthcare professionals and eye care specialists.
Vula Mobile enables rural health workers to better serve patients with eye conditions. By allowing primary healthcare professionals, regardless of geography, to access accurate information and specialist practitioners, stress and uncertainty for patients is reduced, appropriate treatment is accurately prescribed and early identification of serious conditions lessens the risk of long-term health effects.
Partners
Mafami owns Vula Mobile, and is a registered company in terms of the South African Companies Act.
The Fund for Innovation and Research in Rural Health (FIRRH) at Stellenbosch University helps to explore the effectiveness of Vula in other areas of rural healthcare.
Gauteng Accelerator Programme and Innovation Hub provides funding and ongoing mentorship for Vula as part of its GAP ICT award 2014.
Tygerberg Hospital forms an integral part of the real world user experience of Vula, and provides valuable feedback for future innovation.
CBM is an international development organisation supporting access to rural healthcare and helping Vula to grow in other medical specialities.
SEED Library
Supporters

The 2015 SEED Awards in 2 South African provinces are supported by the Government of Flanders, which is active in Southern Africa.