Students' Prototype Could Improve Healthcare in Rwanda

Chalmers students created a digital patient registry prototype to support cleft lip and palate care in Rwanda.

This article was edited from the original, written for Chalmers University of Technology.

Two Chalmers students have developed a digital prototype that could improve care for people with cleft lip and palate in Rwanda.

Viktoria Andersson and Elvira Moberg, students in Industrial Engineering and Management, completed the project as part of their master's thesis. Working with Sigma Technology Insight Solutions, they adapted their ideas to Rwanda's healthcare system and local needs.

What did the students create?

“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.

(A patient registry is a secure system that helps healthcare providers track treatment, outcomes, and follow-up care.)

Why a patient registry matters

Corrective surgery can help patients who experience difficulties with speech, hearing and eating. In Rwanda, people with cleft lip and palate may also face stigma or be denied access to school.

A national registry could help healthcare providers organize treatment and follow-up care after surgery. It could also support future research. However, Rwanda does not currently have such a registry.

The students based their prototype on Sweden's cleft lip and palate registry, which has been developed over 30 years. They simplified and adapted it for local conditions in Rwanda.

“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.

Learning through local connections

To understand what the system should include, Viktoria and Elvira interviewed surgeons, aid organizations, decision-makers and public authorities.

The project grew from Chalmers' relationship with the University of Rwanda. In 2025, the universities signed a five-year collaboration agreement. The students also received support from Faustin Ntirenganya, Rwanda's first plastic surgeon, as well as Robert Åberg of Sigma Technology Insight Solutions and physician Patrik Boivie.

The experience taught the students that strong local relationships were essential to moving the project forward.

“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.

What happens next

The students completed the prototype in late spring 2026. The next goal is to test it in a hospital and continue developing it.

Doctoral students at the University of Rwanda will carry the project forward, with the aim of turning the prototype into a working national registry.

“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.