Vula Mobile

Vula Mobile connects general health workers in remote areas with specialists in hospitals via a mobile app.  The startup is initially focusing on eye health.

Vula Mobile allows health workers to capture patient information, take photographs, do a basic eye test and record a brief medical history before sending it directly to a specialist. They can ask for advice over a dedicated messaging platform, and decide on the best course of care for the patient.

Initially backed by grants from the likes of the SAB Foundation, DG Murray Trust, The Innovation Hub and the Shuttleworth Foundation, Vula Mobile is currently raising its first round of investment.

Globally, there are 39 million blind people. An estimated 80% of all blindness is preventable or curable, which means that there are in excess of 30 million people around the world who have lost their sight unnecessarily.

In the majority of cases, blindness can be prevented or cured through simple, effective and inexpensive procedures like cataract operations. So the main cause of blindness isn’t a lack of treatment options, but rather a lack of access to decent healthcare.