
Vula Mobile
Model & Strategy
Many patients in Africa receive inadequate care because there is no way for front-line health workers to connect with specialist doctors. Vula addresses this through a technology platform that connects specialists, front-line workers, and patients in real-time.
Rural health workers use the Vula app to connect to specialists to get diagnosis and treatment advice, arrange urgent transfers, and make appointments. A simple and effective solution, Vula has been adopted rapidly across South Africa and has the potential to solve a critical bottleneck in the delivery of quality healthcare throughout Africa and globally.



Dr. Will Mapham’s passion is improving healthcare in rural and underserved areas. As a junior doctor volunteering in rural South Africa, he realized that he and the front line health workers had no access to specialist advice that could help them diagnose and treat their patients more effectively. Later he realized that many people who ended up at the hospital could have been managed at the local health center if only the health workers could have been connected to a specialist. So, in 2014 he founded Vula Mobile, a mobile app that connects local health workers to on-call specialists to improve patient care.
Dr. Mapham is an ophthalmologist who previously served as the Vice-Chair of the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (RuDASA), spent time in the field of public health using media and mobile technology for behavior change, and has published academic articles on the role of innovation and technology in improving healthcare delivery.
Impact
As of August 2020, Vula had served 280,000 patients. August also marked the first month that Vula processed more than 1,000 patient referrals in a single day.
Average response time is 15 minutes.
Over 12,000 medical practitioners in South Africa are registered on Vula, which is now partnered with the South African national health system.
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NEWLY RELEASED update on Guidelines for Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Adults: https://t.co/PWEUMPtjC3 by… https://t.co/iwTjaR15aD
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You can help: Request for volunteers for COVID-19 hotline - https://t.co/MhOa3fsS31
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RT @carteblanchetv: #CarteBlanche Watch this for some NB #COVID_19 hygiene tips, plus a demo on mixing your own detergent that kills the vi…
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RT @carteblanchetv: RT If you missed the premiere of our new #CarteBlanche #COVID_19 QnA web series you can watch it here. Ep 1 looks at fa…
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RT @Craft_andDesign: Congrats to one of the recipients of our CDI Design Innovation Seed Fund! 2019 MTN Business App of the Year Awards wi…
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Thanks to the Vula team! MTN Best Health App of the Year! @ Sandton, Gauteng https://t.co/877xekoVYe
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Excited for this evening... Vula has been nominated... @ Johannesburg https://t.co/jRRDATwYcn
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Team Vula and artwork at Steve Biko Hospital. Thanks Tshego and Chinazo @ Steve Biko Hospital https://t.co/oZ5MJnhE5X
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Vuyo, Orthopaedic Surgeon, and I at Beford Orthopaedic Hospital. @ Bedford Orthopedic Hospital https://t.co/RI20idN2cN
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Kinda crazy.... this is a bus on the streets of Rome @ Rome, Italy https://t.co/XtcIKPbWYg
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New and improved Vula Mobile team. Welcome to Mokgadi and Mooniq. @ Top of Table Mountain https://t.co/2PuzvhKXmE
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The Sanofi film crew wearing surgical scrubs for the first time at Khayelitsha Hospital @ Khayelitsha District Hosp… https://t.co/40xfwpqSKG
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Elizma Anthonissen, one of Vula's first users. From working in a clinic, she has built up an incredible eye care ce… https://t.co/11Gb0JGLEl
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Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. Over 1,500 babies born here every month. Dedicated staff working hard to improve t… https://t.co/2Tsp5KDWED
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Visiting Joburg? I recommend Lebo's backpackers in Soweto. https://t.co/XHV9TIS8ww We stayed in their self catering… https://t.co/QiojjdFYnp
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Wow. National Dept of Health talking about rolling out Vula across the country. Thanks to everyone for the support… https://t.co/K8T7w6dokT
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Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto is the third largest in the World! Met with the surgical dept this mornin… https://t.co/O3KqAPn6id
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At the Science Museum in London. Presenting at Sightgeist #OpenYourEyes #GlassesOn
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