By 
By Ross Moyo
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commended NetOne for advancing the health agenda and supporting Vision 2030 following the launch of an initiative to take 100 mobile health kiosks to villages.
His Excellency launched the project on Saturday, October 17, at the 23rd People’s National Conference in Chinhoyi, marking a milestone in a partnership aimed at bringing healthcare closer to communities.
Funded and supported by NetOne through its flagship OneHealth initiative, the project is being undertaken in conjunction with ZimSmart Villages and led by the ZANU PF Department of Health. The initiative is spearheaded by the ZANU PF Health Department in partnership with NetOne and ZimSmart Villages.
For NetOne, which is marking its 30th anniversary, the investment gives its anniversary a purpose beyond commemorating three decades of telecommunications services. It directs resources towards a need shared by every household: access to healthcare. The company says its 30th anniversary is not simply about celebration, but about placing people’s wellbeing at the centre.
The planned rollout of 100 mobile health kiosks, 10 for each province, will bring essential health services closer to underserved communities. The initial phase features the deployment of 10 solarized, Starlink-enabled three-wheeler mobile health kiosks, with one allocated to each of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces.
The comprehensive exhibition at Chinhoyi also featured a complete access network comprising 10 solarized and Starlink-powered mobile health outreach tuk-tuks, two static telehealth kiosks equipped for diagnostics and virtual consultations, and 10 “Mudhumeni WeUtano” solarized bicycles to extend community mobilization and digital health promotion at grassroots level.
NetOne public relations manager Ernest Magadzire said: “Our 30th anniversary is not simply about celebrating how far we have come. It is about what we can contribute to the future. Through OneHealth, we are placing people’s wellbeing at the centre of our celebrations and supporting the national health agenda.”
ZimSmart Villages Chief Medical Officer Dr Admore Jokwiro said: “The value of digital health lies in helping people connect with the care they need. These mobile kiosks are intended to bridge distances and create accessible points through which communities can connect with healthcare professionals.”
The model operates around a continuous cycle of arrive, screen, connect, navigate, refer and follow up. At each kiosk, a nurse and community health worker will help identify health concerns, conduct approved checks, provide health information and connect eligible patients to a clinician.
Deputy Minister of ICT Dingumuzi Phuti, who toured the stand, described it as game-changing: “This responds squarely to the needs of communities especially in rural areas where the need for ambulances will be bridged. It gives a lot of convenience… Employment will also be created while health delivery index pushes up.”
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