How telehealth is helping to close the healthcare gap in rural Zimbabwe | Story

Nyazura, Zimbabwe Bright fluorescent lights illuminate the floor as Kadzunge returns to the clinic for a medical check-up that helped diagnose a disease he has battled for months.

The 38-year-old farmer sits quietly as a nurse ties a blood pressure cuff to his arm. After a while, the machine beeps and reads.

A few months ago, Kadzunge struggled to work in the garden or cook for his family. He spent three months suffering from chest pain and dizziness before traveling 14 kilometers from his home village in Chimbondi after a friend told him about the place.

A nurse discovered that his blood pressure was high and connected him to a doctor via video.

“The nurse checked my blood pressure, but it was too high,” Mr Kadzunge told Al Jazeera. “Then I spoke to the doctor via video.”

He was diagnosed with a very serious illness and prescribed medication, which he continues to take every day. Within days, his condition improved.

Bringing doctors closer

Mr Kadzunge’s experience comes as efforts are being made to bring doctors closer to rural people in Zimbabwe, where years of economic crisis have left health institutions facing shortages of medicines, equipment and medical staff.

The program was launched in 2024 by ZimSmart Villages, a Zimbabwean technology and innovation organization, in partnership with the state-owned company NetOne, and the Zimbabwe Posts (Zimpost) government agency.

The program connects patients in remote areas with medical professionals who provide digital communication, reducing the need for long trips to see a doctor.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zimbabwe had 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people in 2022, compared to the African average of 2.6.

For many rural people, seeing a doctor in person requires an expensive trip. Without the Nyazura site, Kadzunge would have had to travel 22km (13.7 miles) to Rusape, a town in eastern Zimbabwe, or 70km (43 miles) to Mutare, the capital of Manicaland province.

Ambulances are scarce in many rural areas, forcing some families to transport sick relatives to hospitals using oxcarts, a common form of rural transportation.

At Nyazura hospital, nurse Noreen Chimanya checks patients’ symptoms, such as blood pressure, blood sugar and temperature, before preparing videos with doctors. They also provide written support and referrals to hospitals.

When we opened in May 2024, telemedicine was new in this area,” Chimanya told Al Jazeera. “People were used to talking to doctors face to face and being examined.”

Building trust requires months of outreach. Chimanya visited the surrounding villages to explain the process of negotiations.

“They love it here because there are no lines,” he said. “At public hospitals, people spend hours waiting to be seen.”

The station uses Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX of the United States, and a lithium battery backup to keep communications running most of the time.

A way to save rural patients

According to ZimSmart Villages, by 2026 the organization had established 28 telephone centers in seven out of 10 regions of Zimbabwe and had consulted with more than 28,000 people, including about 25,000 tests.

Tawanda Njerere, the co-founder and head of the agency, told Al Jazeera that the program was designed to create a digital medical center within existing offices.

“Instead of requiring rural patients to travel 50km or more to rural hospitals, the program establishes health access points within the infrastructure of the post office,” he said.

These centers charge between $2 and $10 per consultation, compared to $15 to $20 at most private clinics.

For some rural families, that difference can determine whether they seek help or wait.

For Proud Chimene, a vendor from the nearby village of Chimene, it made support possible.

In July 2024, after experiencing unexplained weight loss, extreme thirst and constant fatigue, he visited Nyazura’s estate.

“Things went wrong,” Chimene told Al Jazeera. “The nurse tested me and my blood sugar was too high. After talking to the doctor on the computer, she put me on an intravenous line for a few hours. She also gave me medicine to take twice a day.”

He was diagnosed with diabetes.

“If it wasn’t for the local health center like this one where you can find a doctor at a low cost, I probably wouldn’t have needed treatment at all,” he said.

Njerere said the plan focuses on early detection of diseases by bringing sensors closer to communities. Digital health records and follow-up also help patients manage serious problems such as hypertension and diabetes.

The center will also acquire sexually transmitted diseases and refer patients who need special care.

Problems still exist

Despite its growth, telehealth cannot replace all services provided by traditional hospitals.

Professional services, particularly in eye health, general health and chronic disease management, remain scarce across Zimbabwe.

“The program will address this through collaboration with eye care providers and professionals, but professional skills are still a problem,” said Njerere.

In some rural areas, the lack of consensus and genuine dialogue means that building faith remains an ongoing challenge.

For Kadzunge, the measure of success is simple: he is able to return to the field with the daily activities that illness took away.

He said: “I am healthy again. Now I can go to the farm without threatening my family.”