IMPALA

Project

The IMPALA project is an EU funded project, through the EDCTP instrument, with the aim to develop an algorithm enhanced monitoring system for hospitalized children in Africa.

Our goal is to improve recognition of critical conditions in an early stage which enables early and effective interventions and reduces paediatric mortality.

Why do we do this?

About the project

Monitoring

In hospitalized children it is essential to monitor the health status of patients to detect deterioration and to prevent and treat complications.

In low-resource hospitals small but important changes in a child’s health like heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory condition can go unnoticed due to understaffing and lack of adequate monitoring equipment.

Often the window of opportunity to intervene and prevent children dying from complications is missed.

IMPALA solves this issue.

Goal

The partners of the IMPALA project are collaborating to lower the staggering amount of preventable child deaths.

This interdisciplinary project will develop a sturdy, easy-to-use, affordable, high-tech monitor that can be implemented in settings with limited resources and capacity.

We will enable healthcare workers to recognize and intervene early in case of critical illness by developing and integrating predictive algorithms which predict clinical deterioration. Because this will be done automatically the need for extensive training will be reduced.

We have estimated that our system could save up to 1 million children’s lives per year.

Who do we work with?

Partners

GOAL 3 is the main technology partner within this consortium and is responsible for combining all technologies into the IMPALA system and in making sure that the IMPALA system will make a significant impact in real life after this project.

GOAL 3The Netherlands

Imperial College London is a world renowned research institute in emergency and critical care in global health. Within this project they are responsible for developing and testing new blood based biomarkers which can differentiate at the point of care between a bacterial, parasitic and viral infection as well as differentiate in severity of disease. In addition they provide significant data and physiological modelling expertise to develop the predictive algorithms.

Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom

The Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (AIGHD) is a world renowned research centre on global health systems; the AIGHD is the main applicant of this project and is responsible for coordinating the project and in addition provides a lot of expertise on the social sciences, health economics and future implementation of the system. Dr Job Calis has founded the Paediatric intensive care unit and is the coordinator of this study.

The Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development The Netherlands

Leiden university medical centre - the National eHealth Living Lab (NeLL) is an expert centre on eHealth; the NeLL is supporting the development of the system by providing expertise in a compliance by design approach. In addition they are charged with building a high quality robust data infrastructure that complies with all regulations.

National eHealth Living LabThe Netherlands

The Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE) is an academic research centre located in Blantyre with various sites and supports large scale research projects from USAID, the European Union and many more. They play a major role in the setup and execution of the study in the Zomba study site.

The Research Unit of ExcellenceMalawi

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences - College of Medicine (KUHeS) is a constituent college of the University of Malawi and is responsible for execution of the study in the Blantyre site. Their expertise, network and previous experience makes KUHeS an excellent reference site for the trials and crucial in future adoption to other hospitals.

Kamuzu University of Health SciencesMalawi

Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), formerly known as Polytechnic, this academic research institution is charged with the responsibility to co-develop the IMPALA system and in ensuring that the system meets local needs and requirements together with GOAL 3.

Malawi University of Business and Applied SciencesMalawi

Testimonials

For one year we have been collaborating with GOAL 3 in the development of the IMPALA monitoring system.
We believe that this system could play a game-changing role in the care for sick children.
GOAL 3 has proven to be a reliable and dedicated partner and we are confident that together we will succeed in our ambitions of improving paediatric care at places where it is needed most.

Professor J.C.W. van Woensel

Head of pediatric intensive care Amsterdam medical centre. Chairman of the global child health workgroup.

It takes decades to become a neonatologist, yet 80% of the work I do could easily be done by someone with a tiny fraction of the training I have if they working in a better-designed system with better support, knowledge, and systems. The data-driven algorithms and protocols will be an important part of that.

Dr. Alex Stevenson

St. Anne's Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe

I believe a lot of things can be better designed especially in hospitals and medical places, they are not user-friendly or effective, and with technology, you can achieve a lot more. This is a vision I share with GOAL 3

Project

IMPALA

Why do we do this?

About the project

Monitoring

Goal

Who do we work with?

Partners

People from the field

Testimonials

Professor J.C.W. van Woensel

Head of pediatric intensive care Amsterdam medical centre. Chairman of the global child health workgroup.

Dr. Alex Stevenson

St. Anne's Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe

Rachel Loop

Head of Quality

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