Great startups disrupt the norm and make a difference. They ignore the status quo and simply go ahead and create their own versions of reality. Vula Mobile is one such startup. On the surface, the Vula Mobile app connects healthcare workers with specialists to provide them with valuable information that they can use to refer patients, do diagnostic tests and get relevant advice, all through the mobile phone. At its core, it transforms the lives of patients and health professionals as they gain access to care they desperately need. Vula Mobile came about while Dr William Mapham was working at the Emehlo Eye Clinic in rural Swaziland where he experienced the complex challenges that health workers had to overcome when looking for specialist advice.

Says Mapham: “It’s always been about making a difference in improving rural healthcare. By combining mobile technology, medical skills and rural experience, I was able to create Vula and we’re now constantly refining it so it can be as practical and relevant as possible.”