Cimas Health Group has launched the third edition of its annual digital health innovation challenge, Healthathon 3.0, as it seeks technology-driven solutions to Zimbabwe’s healthcare challenges.
Running under the theme “Reimagining Healthcare Through Disruptive Innovation,” the initiative aims to identify practical ICT innovations that improve healthcare access, affordability, operational efficiency and patient experience.
Speaking at the launch in Harare, Cimas Health Group chief executive officer Vuli Ndlovu said the programme forms part of the organisation’s broader digital transformation strategy.
“The healthcare industry is undergoing rapid technological transformation, and innovation remains a critical pillar for us,” Ndlovu said.
“Through the Healthathon challenge, we are demonstrating our commitment to addressing complex and evolving healthcare challenges, including affordability constraints, limited access to services, fragmented data systems, delayed service delivery and rising healthcare costs.”
Unlike previous editions, this year’s competition will feature a single open challenge, giving participants the freedom to develop solutions from any area of healthcare.
Registration opens on June 22 and closes on July 12. The competition will culminate in a live Demo Day on August 28, where finalists will pitch their innovations before industry experts and Cimas executives.
The winning team will receive US$3,500, while second and third place finishers will take home US$2,000 and US$1,500 respectively.
Beyond the prize money, winning teams will have an opportunity to pilot their innovations with Cimas for possible adoption and incubation.
Cimas chief information officer Foster Akaketwa said the competition is open to innovation hubs, technology startups, university teams and independent developers.
“To encourage multidisciplinary collaboration, each team must have between three and five members with diverse skills,” Akaketwa said.
He said 20 teams will be shortlisted following an online application and evaluation process before the field is narrowed to six finalists.
Akaketwa said entries must offer original, locally relevant solutions to challenges within Zimbabwe’s healthcare system.
“To qualify, proposed solutions must address challenges within the Zimbabwean healthcare ecosystem and demonstrate practical relevance to the local environment. Teams must also show the technical capacity to develop a functional prototype within the stipulated timeline,” he said.
Shortlisted teams will undergo orientation sessions covering intellectual property, data protection, prototype requirements and judging criteria ahead of the final showcase.-newsday
