The University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) School of Pharmacy, in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, introduces MzansiMed-Rx: an AI-powered mobile phone app designed to improve healthcare communication in South Africa.

Through real-time and culturally relevant translation of medicine instructions in South African languages, the app aims to ensure that patients better understand their medicine regimens, regardless of their linguistic or hearing abilities. The overarching goal is to improve therapeutic outcomes.

MzansiMed-Rx is a collaborative effort between the UWC School of Pharmacy, Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Department of Computer Science, and UWC’s Linguistics Department. The School of Pharmacy is the development hub for MzansiMed-Rx, where Dr Mariam Parker and Prof Jacques Joubert lead pharmaceutical communication and AI innovation. SU Computer Sciences provides expertise in app design, and the UWC Linguistics Department ensures the accuracy and cultural relevance of medicine translations.

The project is funded by a USD100,000 grant (approximately R1.6 million) from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Grand Challenges. This support positions MzansiMed-Rx to break down language barriers in healthcare and promote equitable access to health services throughout South Africa.

The current beta version of MzansiMed-Rx, designed by the UWC team, is available as an AI GPT. We invite healthcare providers, researchers, patients, and community stakeholders to contribute feedback to refine and improve the app. The fully functional MzansiMed-Rx App will launch in urban centres in early 2025, with plans to expand to rural areas to ensure inclusive healthcare access.

To participate in the beta testing and help shape the future of this app, please visit https://chatgpt.com/g/g-F5sHxlXb1-mzansimedgpt

If you wish to provide feedback, complete our short survey. By completing the survey, you'll receive an invitation to our MzansiMed-Rx App when it is released.
 

• MzansiMed-Rx Project Team

Dr Mariam Parker (principal investigator (PI)), Prof Jacques Joubert (Co-PI), Dr Erika Kapp, Prof Elizabeth Archer, Dr Naushaad Ebrahim, Dr Afeez Kareem, Dr Luke Zondagh, Mrs Tasneem Khan, Mr Rudy Maart, Mr Teboho Tutubala, Ms Ireen Denya, UWC pharmacy undergraduates and postgraduates. Prof Bill Tucker and Prof Brink van der Merwe from SU’s Department of Computer Science, their colleagues and students. Two interns from UWC’s Future Innovation Lab: Vicardo Karoka and Kholekile Mpengesi.

Contact Information
Dr Mariam B. Parker
School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences
University of the Western Cape
Email: mbparker@uwc.ac.za