By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE — In a world increasingly captivated by artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and digital data, Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care Minister has issued a stark warning: technology is only a tool, and its true value lies not in its sophistication but in its ability to improve the lives of patients.
Speaking at the Cimas Healthathon 3.0 Grand Finale in Harare on 28 August, Dr Celestino Dhege, the Chief Director for Public Health representing the Honourable Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora, urged innovators to remember that the ultimate measure of any health innovation is simple: does it improve a patient’s experience, reduce the cost of care, help a health worker do their job better, or reach someone who has been left behind?
“Innovation is not only about technology or software,” the Minister declared. “It is about doing things differently and better. It is a new way of financing care so that more families are protected.
“It is a smarter referral pathway that saves a life. It is a locally made diagnostic or medicine. It is a community health worker reaching a village that a clinic cannot.”
The Means, Not the Ends
While acknowledging the promise of telemedicine, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, Dr Mombeshora stressed that these digital tools must serve a larger purpose.
“Digital tools are a powerful enabler, but the real innovation lies in the outcomes we deliver for our people,” he said.
“So while telemedicine, data, and artificial intelligence carry great promise, they are means, not ends.”
His remarks come at a time when Zimbabwe is witnessing a surge in digital health innovation. The Healthathon 3.0 competition alone attracted 372 submissions from innovators, startups, researchers, and students across the country, all seeking to address challenges such as healthcare affordability, limited access to services, fragmented data systems, and rising costs.
The solutions on display at the finale spanned diagnostics, preventive healthcare, artificial intelligence, rural healthcare, rehabilitation, data protection, and emergency response — demonstrating the breadth of Zimbabwean ingenuity.
A Call for Equity and Access
Beyond cautioning against the over-reliance on technology, the Minister challenged innovators to design solutions for the majority, not the privileged few.
“Too many Zimbabweans, particularly in rural and underserved communities, still travel too far and pay too much to reach quality care,” he said.
“As we celebrate innovation today, I urge our innovators to design for the many, not the few.
Let us ensure that as we modernise our health system, we do not leave behind the elderly, people with disabilities, rural communities, and low-income households. Equity must be the heart of every solution.”
His words echo a consistent theme from the Ministry. At World Health Day commemorations earlier this year, Dr Mombeshora emphasised that science and evidence must be the foundation of strong health systems, and that collaboration between governments, researchers, health workers, and communities is essential to translate knowledge into action.
The National Health Insurance Vision
The Minister also used the Healthathon platform to invite stakeholders to contribute to shaping the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, describing it as central to Zimbabwe’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage.
“Our vision is a health system in which every citizen is protected against the financial hardship of illness, and in which access to quality care does not depend on the size of one’s pocket,” he said.
He called on funders, providers, technologists, and academics to bring their expertise to the table, noting that organisations like Cimas Health Group, with decades of experience in health financing, have much to offer this national conversation.
Innovation with Impact
As the Healthathon 3.0 crowned its winners at the finale, Dr Mombeshora urged all participants to measure the value of their experience beyond prize money.
“The greater opportunity is what comes after today, when a promising idea is validated, incubated, partnered, and piloted into the real world,” he said. “That is where an innovation earns its worth.”
His challenge to the 10 finalists and the hundreds who submitted ideas was clear: refine your ideas, find partners, and keep going — because Zimbabwe needs persistence in building a health system fit for the future.
“Let us continue working together — Government, the private sector, academia, innovators, and communities — to build a health system fit for the Zimbabwe we want by 2030 and beyond,” he concluded.
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