MRT IT Peaks Limited Supports Cross-Border Scaling of mPallCare in Malawi
The development of mPallCare has extended beyond Uganda, with the digital palliative-care platform being adapted and piloted in Malawi.
A report published by eHospice on 5 May 2026 documents the adaptation and pilot implementation of mPallCare at Dzaleka Refugee Settlement in Malawi. The work brought together the University of Leeds, Compelling Works Malawi, the Palliative Care Association of Malawi and other stakeholders to explore how a digital palliative-care solution could be adapted to a different national and service context.
For MRT IT Peaks Limited, the work represented an opportunity to contribute technical expertise to the cross-border adaptation of a digital health platform developed through earlier work in Uganda.
From Uganda to Malawi
The Malawi initiative built on earlier pilot testing of mPallCare at Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda.
According to the eHospice report, the broader work involving the University of Leeds and the African Palliative Care Association was exploring how digital health approaches could be adapted to different African settings. mPallCare combines a mobile phone application with a linked dashboard designed to help healthcare providers monitor patients and organise follow-up in routine practice.
The move to Malawi therefore involved more than simply deploying an existing application. The project team worked to understand the local setting, infrastructure, governance arrangements and healthcare workflows before implementing the technology.
Building the Malawi Implementation
The eHospice report states that work with stakeholders took place during 2023 and 2024 to ensure that the approach was compatible with local infrastructure and the policy environment, while agreeing governance, access arrangements and day-to-day workflows.
The implementation involved a multi-agency partnership that included Malawi's Ministry of Health, Ministry of Homeland Security, the Dowa District Health Office, Dzaleka Health Centre and the Palliative Care Association of Malawi.
This planning was intended to ensure that the technology could be incorporated into actual service delivery rather than functioning as a standalone application.
MRT IT Peaks' Technical Contribution
MRT IT Peaks Limited contributed to the technical side of the cross-border implementation.
The eHospice report identifies MRT IT Peaks Limited as the Uganda-based IT company that redeveloped the mPallCare platform. It states that MRT hosted the platform and supported cross-border testing, including functionality checks as the platform was adapted for the Malawi context. MRT also supported the translation of platform content into Chichewa to facilitate local deployment.
This contribution formed part of a wider collaborative effort involving technical, clinical, research and implementation partners.
Understanding the Local Context
An important part of the Malawi work was understanding the experiences and needs of people receiving palliative care in Dzaleka.
The project team conducted initial interviews in late 2024 with 30 patients accessing palliative care at Dzaleka Health Centre. The participants included 20 refugees and 10 people from the host community. The interviews examined lived experiences and levels of digital literacy and informed the adaptation and use of mPallCare in the setting.
This process reflects the importance of adapting digital health solutions to the circumstances of the communities and health systems in which they are introduced.
Training and Pilot Deployment
Technology implementation was accompanied by workforce training.
During 2024, the Ministry of Health, Palliative Care Association of Malawi and Compelling Works worked together to provide specialised training to 15 healthcare providers at Dzaleka Health Centre. The training combined palliative-care practice with practical use of the mPallCare platform.
The digital pilot was subsequently implemented over a six-week period in 2025. Following refresher training, 30 patients were enrolled and monitored through the application, providing an opportunity to examine how the platform worked within routine care.
Learning from Cross-Border Digital Health
The Malawi experience demonstrates that transferring digital health technology between countries involves more than technical deployment.
The eHospice account highlights the importance of local planning, governance, relationships, training, co-design and adaptation alongside the technology itself.
For MRT IT Peaks, participating in this work provided experience in supporting a digital health platform as it moved from one national and service context into another.
The work also illustrates how lessons from digital health implementation in Uganda can contribute to innovation and adaptation elsewhere in the region.
Continuing to Build Practical Digital Solutions
MRT IT Peaks Limited is committed to developing and supporting practical digital solutions that respond to real-world organisational and community needs.
Our work on mPallCare has provided experience in digital health development, platform hosting, technical testing and adaptation across different implementation environments.
The Malawi deployment represents another stage in that journey and demonstrates the value of collaboration when adapting technology for new settings.
Original External Coverage
The Malawi implementation was documented by eHospice in:
“Adapting innovation: scaling digital palliative care in Malawi”
Original publication date: 5 May 2026.
The original article documents the Malawi adaptation, the role of MRT IT Peaks in hosting and cross-border testing, the 2024 co-design and training activities, and the six-week 2025 pilot.
