Zimbabwe’s ZimbosAbantu Expanding Rural Healthcare Via Mobile Clinics

In Zimbabwe, where over 60% of citizens live in rural areas with limited access to healthcare, ZimbosAbantu Healthcare on Wheels is reinventing how care reaches the last mile. Founded in 2021 by Chiedza Mushawedu, the social enterprise converts vans into solar-powered, tech-enabled mobile clinics that bring medical services directly to underserved communities.

Each unit — costing about $120,000 to set up — operates entirely off-grid, equipped with solar panels, vaccine refrigeration, and a compact HealthCube diagnostic lab capable of performing more than a dozen essential tests, including malaria, blood glucose, and hemoglobin. ZimbosAbantu’s 10 mobile clinics have reduced average travel distances for patients from 15 kilometers to just three, offering maternal and child care, immunisations, HIV testing, and screenings for chronic diseases.

Powered by digital health records, the platform captures 18 key health metrics and syncs data to Zimbabwe’s national health repository. It also integrates telemedicine via Econet Wireless, allowing nurses to consult remote doctors in real time.

To make care affordable, ZimbosAbantu launched Chikwama Mukando weHwutano, a community health pool fund inspired by Zimbabwe’s mukando savings model. Families contribute as little as US$3 per month for subsidised healthcare, with over 1,000 members already enrolled.

Initially self-funded with $22,000, the organisation is now raising $6 million to deploy 50 new clinics across all 10 provinces. Since launch, ZimbosAbantu has served 138,000 patients, created 48 full-time jobs, and trained over 100 community health mobilisers. In 2025, it received the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award for innovation in primary healthcare delivery.

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