The IMPALA patient monitor, a device designed to improve child healthcare in low-resource settings, is gaining international recognition for its potential to reduce preventable child deaths by enabling early detection of critical health conditions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, Chief Executive Officer and founder for Goal 3 an entity spearheading the innovation, Niek Versteegde, said the equipment has helped to save many lives in countries like Malawi where it was developed.
A Malawi home-grown initiative developed through collaboration between European and Malawian researchers from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences among others, the IMPALA monitor is touted as an affordable, durable and easy-to-use medical mat that continuously tracks vital signs such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
“By detecting early warning signs hours before symptoms become severe, the device allows for timely, life-saving interventions, even in hospitals with limited resources and personnel,” Versteegde told delegates at the AHAIC.
Amref Health Africa in Malawi, in partnership with the German Corporation for International Cooperation, launched an Impala usage project at Mchinji District Hospital and Kapiri in Mchinji.
Amref Health Africa Malawi Country Manager, Hester Nyasulu, said the project has strengthened the capacity of health workers in monitoring children and lessening their burden thereby improving quality health service delivery.
