A Wales-based collaboration is developing an innovative project. The project aims to deliver clinical skills training through virtual reality (VR) for healthcare professionals in Uganda. Cardiff-based tech company Goggleminds has partnered with the University of South Wales (USW). They have joined in an Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnership which is funded by Innovate UK.
This partnership aims to expand access to high-quality healthcare training in sub-Saharan Africa. Resources for hands-on clinical experience are limited there.
Goggleminds has created “Mediverse.” It is a Virtual Reality platform that allows healthcare professionals and students to practice clinical skills. The practice occurs in simulated environments closely resembling real-life medical scenarios. This bypasses the need for real patients during training.
With support from USW’s Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technologies (CEMET), Goggleminds received guidance. They tailored this VR technology specifically for pediatric care. This addresses a critical need in the region.
“Our objective is to establish one of the first VR training centers in sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to empower local healthcare professionals and students. This will help in bridging the healthcare access gap,” a representative from Goggleminds noted. In Uganda, healthcare access is severely limited, with only 1.55 health workers per 1,000 people across 47 African countries surveyed by the World Health Organization. VR training offers an opportunity to increase capacity, leveraging expertise from the UK to equip healthcare systems in low-resource settings.
Andrew Ware, Professor of Computing at USW and Director of Research for the Wales Institute of Digital Information (WIDI), highlighted the university’s commitment: “USW has a strong history. It develops innovative methods for delivering complex training. It has collaborated with international partners for years. They have implemented impactful technologies in Ugandan healthcare.”
This project supports local healthcare. It also exemplifies how international partnerships can bring sustainable solutions to regions with significant healthcare challenges.