By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa, Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda Red Cross Society on Wednesday launched the First Aid Blended Learning App (FABL App), a game-changer for communities. By leveraging technology, the app breaks down barriers to first aid training, making it possible for people from all walks of life to acquire life-saving skills.
This innovative approach has the potential to transform the way (WE) respond to emergencies, fostering a culture of preparedness and community resilience.
While officiating at the launch of First Aid Blended Learning (FABL) App, Hon. Davinia Esther Anyakun, the Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations at Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development stressed the critical need for widespread first aid knowledge, particularly in workplaces.
“I want to request the Red Cross, as you made a request to institutions to be having a first aider, train at least someone in an industry,” she stated, lamenting that many lose their lives because of small things that would make us save their lives.
She pledged her ministry’s commitment, asserting, in her department of occupational safety and health will need this application and that’s her commitment as a minister.
The Minister described the FABL App as a game changer that empowers Ugandans with vital life-saving skills. She urged all partners, public and private, to embrace and promote this tool, ensuring that no Ugandan is left behind when it comes to basic emergency response.” This initiative, she added, perfectly aligns with Uganda’s national development goals and digital transformation vision.
Robert Kwesiga, Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) hailed the adoption of the App as a transformative step in first aid training.
Kwesiga inked the app’s role in doing business in a very innovative way when we talk of First Aid, marking a significant shift in how the timeless practice is delivered.
He noted that the new digital tool addresses contemporary needs, making training more accessible, flexible, and inclusive. “When injuries happen, the first call is on what you do first, and warned that “minor injuries can become severe.”
He started that the FABL App leverage the widespread use of smartphones, allowing users to complete theoretical learning wherever they are through self-paced modules (approximately six hours). This online component is then complemented by a mandatory one-day practical session. Priced affordably at around UGX 150,000 and accessible via Google Play, the app targets individuals, families, schools, and corporates, aiming to embed first aid skills across society.
He urged all Ugandans to embrace this technology of first aid as we can’t afford to remain analog hence building a strong, safer, and more resilient Uganda.
On his behalf, Michelle Dawe, a delegate from the Belgian Embassy, Kampala revealed, the project epitomizes Belgium’s focus on education and health sectors in Uganda, active since 1995.
Dawe expressed profound belief in the transformative power of first aid, stating, ‘It’s not just a skill, it’s a complete lifeline’ visualizing how the new app empowers ordinary Ugandans to provide immediate, life-saving care, especially crucial in a country where emergencies are widespread. “This isn’t just about moving a manual online; it’s about putting the power to save a life directly into the hands of every Ugandan with a smartphone,” Dawe added.
Looking ahead, Dawe revealed plans for the platform to evolve beyond a simple learning tool. It is envisioned to become a crucial data collection and alert tool, enabling communities to report emergencies and better understand first-aid needs on the ground.
His counterpart, Peter Kibor Keitany, the Belgian Embassy Representative observed the importance of first aid, stating, each and everyone at some point in time can be a victim of minor, major, or even severe. They cited the opportunity to take care of oneself, family, and community, and noted that Uganda is a priority country for creating accessible first aid data.
He lauded the younger generation for their tech-savviness, and the Belgian Embassy for their support,having not only supported Uganda but also other countries in Africa.
Red Cross’ Isaac Kimbugwe demonstrated how the FABL app, designed by the Belgium Red Cross works in emergency situations as it has both an emergency and a learning component. “The emergency component was basically put there for people who have not trained in first aid yet, with its user-friendly interface that guides users through various emergencies, including choking.
When simulating a choking scenario, Isaac showed how the app provides step-by-step instructions, starting with encouraging the person to cough and progressing to back blows and abdominal thrusts if necessary.
The learning component of the app offers 17 topics, from basic first aid principles to specific medical emergencies like choking, stroke, and severe bleeding.
The app provides detailed instructions and definitions for various medical emergencies, including choking, which is defined as “the partial or complete obstruction of the airway by a solid particle.” Isaac also stressed the app’s ability to provide first aid guidance in different languages, including local Ugandan languages.
On her part, Beatrice Nabukenya, from NITA-U acknowledged how the digital tool effectively addresses traditional challenges of first aid training, such as distance, availability of time, and resources by leveraging technology to expand access, and to provide information to users and a blended experience.
Beatrice clarified that they’re providing leadership, infrastructure, the connectivity and the NBI. She urged the widespread adoption of the tool by key stakeholders like the Uganda Police, universities, schools, and workplaces, noting its alignment with the broader digital transformation agenda.
“This tool is not only a strategic tool, but a program that is part of a broader ecosystem of digital inclusion, public health and citizen empowerment.” She stated. Beatrice encouraged Red Cross to continue to innovate & continue to push the boundaries.
Presenting on the impact of flexible and versatile learning approaches in today’s world, Rebecca Kangabe, UCU Director of ICT Services, revealed University’s foresight in embracing blended learning, a combination of face-to-face and online engagement, as early as 2017, investing heavily in technology like the Moodle Learning Management System. This early preparedness proved critical when COVID-19 broke out in 2020, enabling UCU to remarkably continue students’ education uninterrupted.
Kangabe observed key lessons learned, including the necessity of capacity building, as continuous support for lecturers and students was vital.
She noted adoption of blended learning created opportunities for students to continue their studies during disruptions and expanded access for students who may be working geographically distant, fostering a more inclusive and adaptable higher education model.
Kangabe affirmed that flexible learning not only enhances resilience, but also equips students with digital skills critical for the modern workplace, shaping a future where education is inclusive, resilient and transformative.
The groundbreaking FABL App offers theory sessions accessible via smartphone, allowing participants to learn at their own pace, and practical training sessions to apply learned skills. This initiative is affordable, with a minimum cost of shs150, and is accessible through Google Play and the Red Cross website.
