ZimbosAbantu Healthcare on Wheels, founded in 2021 by Chiedza Mushawedu, is tackling Zimbabwe’s rural healthcare crisis head-on.
In areas where people often walk 15 to 20 kilometres for medical care, the startup repurposes vans into solar-powered, tech-enabled mobile clinics, bringing primary healthcare directly to communities.
Chiedza, who witnessed preventable deaths and untreated chronic illnesses while working in private hospitals, designed the model to reach those most in need.
“We were seeing preventable deaths from treatable conditions, mothers giving birth at home without skilled assistance, and people living with undiagnosed chronic illnesses simply because care was out of reach,” Chiedza explains.
How the Mobile Clinics Operate
According to Chiedza, ZimbosAbantu currently operates ten mobile clinics, each deployed strategically to reach high-need communities. Each unit is fully equipped to function in off-grid areas, powered by solar panels with battery backups.
The vans include refrigeration for vaccines and medicines and feature a compact diagnostic lab called HealthCube, a portable device capable of performing over a dozen essential tests, including blood glucose, haemoglobin, and malaria screening.
Chiedza explained that getting a clinic operational requires a combination of resources, infrastructure, and people, as each unit costs about US$120,000 to set up.
The clinics provide primary healthcare, maternal and child services, dental and eye care, immunisations, HIV testing, and screenings for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. For complex cases, patients are referred to partner hospitals under the supervision of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care.
What You Should Know
Chiedza revealed that patients first encounter community health mobilisers, who provide basic health education and conduct preliminary checks such as blood pressure measurement.
On arrival at the mobile clinic, patients are digitally registered for the first time, creating a personal health record that allows chronic conditions to be monitored continuously, even if the clinic relocates.
Patients proceed to triage for vital checks before seeing a nurse or doctor for assessment and diagnosis, Chiedza added. Medications are dispensed immediately from the solar-powered pharmacy, and follow-up visits are scheduled during the next mobile clinic visit.
The vans are designed with accessibility in mind, featuring ramps for people with disabilities, private consultation spaces, and staff trained in gender-sensitive care. On an average day, each van serves between 18 and 25 patients, maintaining quality while ensuring reach.
Understanding the Technology and Data-Driven Care
ZimbosAbantu measures impact through a robust data system, tracking 18 core health metrics, including maternal health visits, immunisations, chronic disease management, and HIV testing. This data informs service improvements, contributes to the national health repository, and supports government health financing and advocacy.
Telemedicine partnerships, notably with Econet Wireless, enable nurses to consult remotely with doctors, ensuring accurate diagnosis despite low doctor-to-patient ratios.
In regions with limited connectivity, the startup says offline-first software, solar-powered devices, and cloud encryption safeguard patient information and ensure seamless data capture.
“Our goal is to bring healthcare within one kilometer of every household in the communities we serve,” Chiedza notes.
What This Means
Today, the organisation operates under formal agreements with the Ministry of Health, the National AIDS Council, and local authorities, with each van linked to a hospital for referrals and medical waste management.
To address cost barriers, ZimbosAbantu launched the Chikwama Mukando weHwutano programme, a community health savings fund inspired by Zimbabwe’s traditional mukando (rotational savings) groups.
Families contribute as little as $3 per month, gaining access to subsidised consultations, screenings, and discounted medicines. Nearly 1,000 individuals are enrolled, with the fund also extending micro-loans to women-led businesses, linking healthcare access to financial resilience.
Since its launch, ZimbosAbantu says it has reached over 138,000 patients, served 15 low-income communities, created 48 full-time jobs, and trained more than 100 community-based health mobilisers. In 2025, the organisation was recognised with the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award for its innovation and impact.
The startup says future plans include specialised units for maternity, dental, and eye care, along with AI-assisted diagnostics, wearable monitoring, and expanded teleconsultation capabilities.
According to healthcare experts, ZimbosAbantu is a prove that mobile clinics can meet the same standards as static ones, the startup’s work aligns with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 goal that no citizen should have to walk more than 10 kilometers to reach a health facility.
Talking Points
It is impressive that ZimbosAbantu has designed mobile clinics with solar-powered and tech-enabled capabilities, addressing a major barrier many rural Zimbabweans face: distance and limited access to healthcare.
This single innovation alone positions ZimbosAbantu as a practical solution for real health challenges, especially for communities walking 15–20 kilometres to reach the nearest clinic.
At Techparley, we see how tools like this can transform healthcare delivery beyond urban centres, bringing real value to underserved communities by offering primary care, maternal services, vaccinations, and NCD screenings directly at their doorstep.
The integration of digital health records, telemedicine, and community-funded healthcare pools means patients can now access quality care efficiently and affordably, even in off-grid areas.
However, there’s still room to expand its reach and impact. Scaling will depend on securing funding, increasing the number of mobile clinics, and training more community health mobilisers to sustain quality care.
With the right support, ZimbosAbantu has the potential to become a regional model for equitable, tech-enabled healthcare, proving that innovation can meet the most pressing needs of rural communities.
