DUBAI // Students at a Dubai university have created an application that unites people whose lives have been affected by cancer.
The four students attending the University of Wollongong in Dubai built the Heroes of Cancer app to bring together cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones.
The students used theories in positive psychology to create the app for the cancer community, and exhibited the Heroes app at Gitex technology conference this week.
Users can post in four categories: being grateful, savouring the senses, giving back and medical updates.
The app encourages a positive outlook, mindfulness and giving back to the community, and allows friends and family to stay updated about their loved one’s medical condition, according to the Heroes website.
Users can also be added as an emergency contact or find other users based on their type of cancer or location.
The programme was created by Fariha Khan, project manager and developer; Ashiqur Rahman, user experience and interface designer; Abdulbasit Abubakr, back-end developer; and Artaza Aziz, front-end developer.
In April, the students won third place at the UAE finals for the Microsoft Imagine Cup, a global student technology competition. The competitors were judged by representatives from telecoms company du as well as government departments in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, according to the university’s website.
Ms Khan has previously said that she has a family member who had cancer and “wanted to do something that would help the cause and promote positive behaviour among patients and carers going through the disease,” the website reads.
The Heroes of Cancer app is available for Windows Phone.
lcarroll@thenational.ae
