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Purpose:

This page explains what IMPALA is and how it works: the IMPALA Monitor, the IMPALA Platform and IMPALA Care, the service model that keeps the system running. It also sets out what makes IMPALA different from other patient monitoring solutions.

How to use this page:

• Start with the overview for a short description of IMPALA.
• Read the sections on the Monitor, the Platform and IMPALA Care for how each part works.
• For what an implementation costs, go to The costs of IMPALA

This page was last updated: October 1, 2026

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Figure 10: The IMPALA Monitor

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Overview

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IMPALA is a patient monitoring and clinical support system that provides a multi-patient overview and supports structured monitoring workflows for health facilities in low-resource settings. The solution combines a decision support software platform with a user-friendly, durable vital signs monitoring to enable health workers to identify and respond to patient deterioration faster, improving quality of care. The system is supported by a local service model, IMPALA Care, which keeps the system working over time through training, maintenance and support.

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The IMPALA Monitor

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The IMPALA Monitor is an easy-to-use multiparameter vital sign continuous monitoring device designed for low-resource settings. It has ECG,  pulse-oximetry, respiratory rate, non-invasive blood pressure, and temperature sensors. It was designed to resist dust, heat, and moisture, and has an extended battery life (10+ hours) to overcome power outages. The intuitive smart-phone-like touch screen ensures users easily learn and continue to use the system. The sensors are purposefully selected for optimal accuracy, ease-of-use and sustainability at affordable costs. The monitor is in routine use in more than 60 hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa*(as of October 2026)*. It also won the IF design award in 2024 for its innovative and user friendly design.

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The IMPALA Platform

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The IMPALA Platform combines software and local IT infrastructure to give health workers a real-time overview of their patients, clinical decision support, and data to improve care over time.

1. The IMPALA Platform software and data applications

The IMPALA Platform currently consists of three clinical applications to improve care:

1. Central Patient Overview (CPO). The CPO provides a single overview of all patient data in one place. Using a tablet or big screen you can see the status of up to 50 patients at once. Using our intuitive traffic light system, health workers can see at a glance which patients are deteriorating and respond quickly and effectively (see figure 11 on the right).
2. Clinical Support Application. The Clinical Support Application gives health workers additional data and decision support. This includes:
   • Patient vital sign history up to 7 days;
   • Automatic Paediatric Early Warning Scores (PEWS);
   • Logged interventions on the patient;
   • Admission and discharge information;
3. Data Dashboards. We also provide access to the aggregated data collected. These dashboards allow hospital administrators to review and improve care over time through analytics of:
   • Monitor use;
   • Number of patients monitored;
   • Top indications;
   • Discharge outcomes;

2. IMPALA Platform hardware: robust IT infrastructure that is fit for purpose

To enable the IMPALA software and make sure it fits clinical workflows, IMPALA comes with a number of hardware components:

1. A local server hub bringing an integrated IT and communication infrastructure to hospitals. This robust and fit-for-context infrastructure provides a local WiFi network to connect the IMPALA devices and stores data securely on site. It has a 24-hour back-up battery and does not need any specific infrastructure prior to installation. Although it does not require internet, it does come with an integrated internet connection to enable automatic updates and upgrades without need for technical staff. The connection also makes it possible to share data beyond the hospital in future, for example with national health information systems.
2. A large screen that is mounted at or near the nurses’ station to allow nurses to see the central overview of up to 50 patients at a glance.
3. A tablet that allows for mobile overview of patients and further investigation and access to clinical apps.

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The service model: IMPALA Care

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To ensure ongoing sustainability GOAL 3 has a local service model. With this model, IMPALA is maintained and upgraded over the long-term, bringing ever-increasing value to the customer. With local service teams and remote support we ensure that hospitals are able to get the most value out of IMPALA. We also support in initial and ongoing training of IMPALA. Training ensures that IMPALA is able to fit seamlessly into current workflows, improving the adoption and use over the long-term.

For more information on what this costs, see The costs of IMPALA

Figure 11: The Central Patient Overview as seen on the tablet or big screen at the nurses’ station.

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Why we are different

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IMPALA is more than a patient monitor. It is a ward-level solution that combines patient monitoring, clinical decision support, central patient oversight, data dashboards, training, maintenance, and local service support into a single integrated system.

1. Designed specifically for low-resource settings

IMPALA was co-designed with health workers in Malawi and Rwanda, and is specifically engineered for environments characterised by staff shortages, unstable electricity, high patient volumes, heat, dust, and humidity.

1. Beyond monitoring: whole-ward management

Most patient monitors are designed around a single patient. IMPALA provides a central patient overview that enables health workers to monitor entire wards simultaneously. Features include patient avatars, colour-coded risk stratification, automated Paediatric Early Warning Scores (PEWS), clinical support tools, and ward-level dashboards. A spot-checking function, for patients who do not need continuous monitoring, is in development.

1. Affordability and cost-effectiveness

IMPALA delivers core monitoring functions found in high-end systems while remaining affordable for public hospitals in low-resource settings. The system also avoids expensive proprietary consumables and supports flexible financing models that improve financial accessibility (please have a look at Hybrid model explained for an in-depth explanation on our hybrid financing model).

1. Sustainability and local ownership

Unlike many equipment suppliers, GOAL 3 provides a complete implementation and support model that includes installation, training, maintenance, remote troubleshooting, software updates, monitoring and evaluation support, and local technical assistance. This helps ensure long-term functionality and adoption, addressing a major challenge in low-resource healthcare settings where medical equipment often becomes unusable due to lack of maintenance or support (Perry & Malkin, 2011).

1. Evidence of impact

Perhaps one of the most important differentiators is that IMPALA has demonstrated real-world improvements in patient outcomes. Before-and-after studies on paediatric wards in two Malawian hospitals found lower mortality and fewer critical illness events after IMPALA was introduced, and health workers reported spending less time on monitoring. No randomised trial has been done yet, and neonatal results are still emerging. An independent cost-effectiveness analysis by Rethink Priorities, which heavily discounts the observed effects, still finds IMPALA highly cost-effective (see Rethink Priorities Report)

In practice, IMPALA is designed to address the problems that usually cause monitoring solutions to fail in low-resource settings: equipment that breaks, systems that are too complex, lack of spare parts, limited training and no long-term support. This makes IMPALA a practical alternative to both expensive high-end systems and cheaper devices that often cannot be sustained over time.