Research Projects
mHealth4Afrika
The European Union funded mHealth4Afrika (Mobile Health for Africa) project is building a mobile, electronic management system for patient/client data in public clinics and hospitals in South Africa, Kenya, Malawi and Ethiopia, initially focussing on the records and data for pregnant women and their full pregnancy cycle until the new-born phase. This will assist in early detection and prevention of health problems during pregnancy, child birth and early childhood. In South Africa and most African countries, patient records are still mostly paper-based. The electronic management of records will go a long way towards better and more efficient healthcare management. The mHealth system will work on any device (laptop, cell phone, tablet, pc) that can access the internet even though the solution also works without internet connectivity.
For more information vist: http://www.mhealth4afrika.eu/
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
Mobile Applications for Tuberculosis
The application (funded by the Discovery Foundation) will enable community health workers, (CHW’s), and general healthcare practitioners to enter health data into an ordinary cell phone. This tracks patient trends and themes to identify and contain potential disease spread. Among data recorded are X-ray reading results, sputum requests/results, kinds of medications used by the patient, contacts they’ve had, glucose levels (due to the strong TB/diabetes correlation) and what patients ingest. A current area of investigation is recording the free speech of patients during CHW home visits, plus the patient using their own phone to record moods at intervals during the day. Key words are identified and used to correlate with recorded activities and ingestion. One aim is to educate and engage patients to motivate them into self-management of their conditions to enable longer and healthier lives.
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
School Health Assessment
It is the aim of this project to demonstrate the use of ICT in Health to improve School Healthcare. The primary objective of this project since 2013 was to make use of mobile devices with specific mobile applications to improve access to school healthcare and health education based on the needs of the school nurses in the Intsika Yethu district. The solution is currently adapted to allow for scalability to several other districts including Sarah Baartman and the Western Cape.
Contact person: Alida Veldsman (Email: Alida.Veldsman@mandela.ac.za)
Improving cause of Death Reporting in South Africa
This is a free online course to equip medical students and doctors to adequately complete a medical certificate of cause of death. The 4 modules are presented along with audio narrations and takes the participant through a step-by-step journey on how to complete the Death Certificate accurately. There is also an online assessment for which the participant will receive HPCSA – approved CPD points.
For more information vist: www.deathcertification.org
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
Find my Mojo
The Find my Mojo application was developed in response to assist persons dealing with mental health issues such as depression and the emotional toll and stress of the Covid-19 pandemic. The app allows the user to track their moods and physical or social activity but also provides quick links to Call Centre numbers that deal with depression, stress and anxiety.
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
e-Ready
The eReady project is funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and managed by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).The CCT was appointed to refine and pilot the paper-based ICT Maturity Assessment Tool with 53 Schools in KZN, NW and MP. Once the paper-based tool was refined the CCT developed an Electronic ICT Maturity Assessment Tool which was piloted with 102 Multigrade schools across all 9 provinces in South Africa. A policy brief of the findings and recommendations has been drafted and will be presented to all role players such as DSI, TIA and the DBE (Department of Basic Education). eReady will be rolled out to 26 000 schools.
For more information vist: https://www.eready.co.za
Media and Communication:
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
DigiTB
The CCT developed a responsive web-based TB application that has a Video Observed Treatment (VOT) platform incorporated into the application. This enables Community Health Care workers to observe treatment compliance and schedule appointments with patients from any geographical location as they can view the patients on their devices via this video link. Patients download the application from the Google PlayStore onto their mobile phone and connect via a meeting link that is integrated with the phones calendar. The mobile application also contains a Treatment Side-effect module as well as a Frequently Asked Questions module.
For more information vist: https://digitb.org
Media and Communication:
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
Leap Agri
The Leap Agri Mobile application was developed by the CCT in partnership with Fraunhofer Portugal. The application aims to assist rural farmers increase soil quality and yield capacity. The application has been developed with the focus on Maize and Sweet Potato crops. The application has a real time weather application, soil classification triangle and also has pest control modules with color images that will assist the farmer in identifying and treating certain pests.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@centreforcommunitytechnolo7165/videos
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
Navigating the Big-C
Navigating the Big C is a mobile/web application that is used to support a patient and families journey through cancer. It does this by :
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Providing information such as cancer treatments, side effects, and types.
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Having a registry where patients can request assistance or any needs they may have.
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Providing a death doula which prepares the patient for death and get to get their affairs in order.
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Presenting a coping kit which gives the patient much needed helpful information.
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
CANSA Pain Thriver App
Pain thriver is a mobile application that was developed to help cancer patients manage their pain better. The App is available on Google Play Store and the App Store (Ios) and has the following functionality:
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A “pain dairy” and recording where they are experiencing the pain, the level of the pain, and the time of day in which it occurred or is occurring.
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Creating your own profile where your medical information such as treatments, diagnosis, contact details, and medication can be stored.
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Having access to information and resources
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
C-Vive
C-vive is a mobile application that shares information about cancer. The application is targeted towards South Africans with little to know knowledge and access to information or are illiterate or visually impaired. It does this by offering voice overs, animations, games, and also has multilingual capabilities.
Contact person: Prof Darelle van Greunen (Email: Darelle.vanGreunen@mandela.ac.za)
Menstrual Health App
The Menstrual Health App is an innovative menstrual health app designed specifically for teenagers, aiming to educate, empower, and support young individuals on their journey toward better menstrual health. With a user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, the Menstrual Health App provides a safe and inclusive space where teenagers can access reliable information, track their menstrual cycles, and connect with a supportive community.