Students’ prototype could improve healthcare in Rwanda

The combination felt both exciting and unusual: an industry collaboration with Sigma Technology Insight Solutions, a master’s thesis project in a rapidly developing African country, and an opportunity to make a difference for people with a stigmatising facial difference.

When Viktoria Andersson and Elvira Moberg, students in Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers, were offered the opportunity to undertake their master’s thesis in Rwanda, they jumped at the chance. A few months later, they had gained a wealth of experience – and contacts.

"Before we carried out our master’s thesis project, I had no idea there were so many project opportunities in Rwanda, particularly in health. We have learnt an enormous amount through this work," says Elvira Moberg.

"Yes, it has been great fun to be part of all the innovation taking place in the country. And the contacts that Chalmers has established locally really made things easier for us," says Viktoria Andersson.

Operations that make a major difference

The background to the pair’s master’s thesis is the strong relationship that Chalmers has built with the University of Rwanda over many years. In 2025, this resulted in a five-year collaboration agreement between the two universities.

Robert Åberg, President of Sigma Technology Insight Solutions, is one of the initiators of the master’s thesis project and was a key source of support throughout. He became aware of the opportunity while visiting the University of Rwanda with a delegation from Chalmers at the end of 2025. One of the many meetings during the visit was with Faustin Ntirenganya, Rwanda’s first plastic surgeon, who carries out many operations on patients with cleft lip and palate in the country. Another initiator was physician Patrik Boivie, who has established a surgical service for people with cleft lip and palate in Rwanda in collaboration with Operation Smile.

Corrective surgery is immensely important for patients with cleft lip and palate, who may have difficulties with speech, hearing and eating. In Rwanda, they are also a stigmatised group who may be denied access to school. However, a national patient registry is needed to provide appropriate care and follow-up after surgery – and no such registry currently exists.

This was the challenge that Viktoria Andersson and Elvira Moberg took on.

"We developed a digital prototype for a national cleft lip and palate patient registry, which we hope can be implemented in the country," says Elvira Moberg.

The students chose to work with a system familiar to the Rwandan authorities and compatible with the country’s healthcare system.

"Data quality is extremely important, and it is essential not to include too many variables. We therefore based our work on the cleft lip and palate registry that Sweden has used and developed over the past 30 years, but adapted it to local conditions in Rwanda," says Viktoria Andersson.

Networks in Rwanda opened up opportunities

To create a user-friendly system and understand what information and data the prototype needed to contain, they conducted numerous interviews with surgeons, aid organisations, decision-makers and public authorities in the country. This proved challenging in several ways and required the students to adapt their work to a new context.

"Rwanda is a highly centralised and hierarchical country, and we quickly realised that the right contacts are needed to make progress. We received a great deal of help from Faustin Ntirenganya, among others, who became our local supervisor because he had an excellent network and could get things moving," says Viktoria Andersson.

Robert Åberg and Patrik Boivie also pulled many strings to bring the project to fruition. In addition, the project relied on several other contacts in Rwanda, including Diane Gashumba, a former Minister of Health who is now Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Nordic countries.

Although the master’s thesis required both an extensive network and considerable patience to keep moving forward, Viktoria Andersson and Elvira Moberg look back on an enjoyable and educational experience. While much in the country felt both unfamiliar and complicated, they also found a great deal of inspiration there.

"Once we reached the right people, we encountered a very positive attitude towards getting things done. Rwanda has a strong and optimistic belief in innovation and is at the forefront in many areas," says Elvira Moberg.

Robert Åberg, who sees considerable scope for Sigma Technology Insight Solutions to develop various AI projects in the country, agrees.

"Many exciting projects are under way in Rwanda, where there is a real willingness to invest in new technology. This is particularly true in healthcare: Rwanda was, for example, the first country in the world to use drones to deliver blood and medicines to rural hospitals," he says.

The project continues

The students’ prototype was completed in late spring 2026. The hope is that it can now be tested in a hospital setting and then developed further. A group of doctoral students at the University of Rwanda will continue working on the project, with the clear aim of making the registry a reality in the near future.

Besides facilitating care and follow-up after cleft lip and palate surgery, the registry is also intended to open up new research opportunities.

"In the long term, we hope the registry can become an important database for research into cleft lip and palate in Rwanda," says Robert Åberg.

Read more about the collaboration program: