The Pathogen Economy Labs (PEL) team recently spent an inspiring day at Mildmay Uganda Hospital, engaging in a unique blend of market research, innovation pitching, and partnership exploration.
A Tour of Innovation at Mildmay
The day began with a guided tour led by Dr. Joseph, who walked the PEL team through the hospital’s facilities. A highlight of the visit was the Mildmay laboratory, where state-of-the-art medical equipment underscored the hospital’s commitment to high-level healthcare delivery and research.
Conversations on Partnership
The visit transitioned into a formal meeting focused on strengthening ties between Mildmay Uganda and Pathogen Economy Labs. The Executive Director of Mildmay and the Director of Research shared keynote remarks, highlighting the value of collaboration and expressing gratitude for the growing partnership.
Mildmay also used the opportunity to showcase innovations emerging from the ASPIRE Project, the hospital’s innovation hub, as well as strategies being advanced through the Medical Research Capacity Unit (MRCU). Their ongoing work in research capacity building opened avenues for rich conversations on joint initiatives.
Pathogen Economy Labs Presentations
On PEL’s side, Mark, the Project Manager, presented an overview of the Lab’s work. He highlighted PEL’s focus areas, including:
- Digitization of workflows for efficiency in healthcare systems.
- An upcoming AI in Health Startups Bootcamp, designed to support innovators in the sector.
The history of PEL was also shared: a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, data scientists, and engineers with experience in projects funded by institutions such as MAK-RF, and collaborations spanning government, academia, and the private sector.
PEL emphasized the value it provides to the health sector, such as:
- AI-driven disease diagnosis and management.
- Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring solutions.
- Saving Uganda up to UGX 20 billion annually, representing a 28.6% reduction in healthcare costs.
Product Demonstrations: TB & Cancer Screening Tools
The session also featured live demonstrations of PEL’s cutting-edge innovations. Peter presented the TB Screening Tool, developed using a dataset collected over three years with confirmed TB cases. Mildmay’s team raised important questions about accuracy and data validation, while also offering constructive suggestions for improvement.
Next, Chodrine Mutebi introduced the Cancer Screening Tool Model, which sparked interest from Mildmay’s experts. Their feedback centered on the need for more rigorous quality assurance and optimizing the app to reduce storage requirements.
Alignment with Mildmay’s Needs
Discussions revealed strong relevance between PEL’s work and Mildmay’s mission. Potential collaborations include:
- Applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) for patient data summarization.
- Exploring AI for cancer diagnosis, treatment planning, and optimization.
- Integrating PEL’s tools within Mildmay’s innovation framework to enhance patient care.
Key Outcomes & Next Steps
The visit concluded with a set of action points:
- Signing an MOU to formalize Mildmay’s provision of clinical expertise to PEL.
- Exploring collaboration within Mildmay’s Innovation Hub and framework.
- Evaluating the immediate value Mildmay can derive from PEL’s two showcased innovations.
- Both parties agreed on the importance of regular follow-up meetings to refine ideas and accelerate collaborative efforts.
A Shared Vision for the Future
The field day at Mildmay was more than a hospital visit—it was a bridge-building exercise between two organizations committed to leveraging innovation for better healthcare outcomes. With shared passion and complementary expertise, Mildmay Uganda and Pathogen Economy Labs are charting a path toward smarter, data-driven healthcare solutions for the future.
