Vaka Health Foundation: Bridging the Gap in Rural Healthcare
Across rural Africa, preventable illness persists because healthcare services may be too far away, too expensive, or simply unavailable. Communities are left behind by systems and technologies not built for their realities.
The Vaka Health Foundation was established in 2019 by Associate Professor Yangama Jokwiro, from La Trobe’s Rural Health School, Professor Peter Williams, and Dr Admore Jokwiro to improve health outcomes by building systems designed for the people who need them. Early in their journey, La Trobe’s Global Markets Accelerator provided practical skills, and connected him to networks and to new sources of funding and collaboration.
Vaka’s five principles - People, Policy, Partnership, Platforms and Profit - shape programs that strengthen health systems, expand digital access, and empower local health workforces.
One of Vaka’s most significant achievements is the MyCpdZw app. This platform has removed the financial and geographic barriers to professional development for healthcare workers in Zimbabwe. To date, more than 31,224 workers - representing over 95% of the national workforce - have completed more than one million training activities. This commitment to education extends to advanced nursing programs and specialist training delivered alongside international partners such as the East, Central and Southern African College of Nursing and Midwifery.
The program has also expanded access to health care through the ZimSmart Villages initiative, where since early 2024, Vaka has established 28 telehealth and e-health centres powered by satellite internet. These centres delivered over 4,000 consultations in 2025, more than doubling the previous year’s reach, and facilitated over 50,000 screenings for hypertension and diabetes conducted remotely. Services that once required long, expensive travel can now be accessed locally for just USD 5 to USD 10, significantly improving the continuity of care.
The Foundation further scales this impact through its VakaAfya and BatsiHealth platforms which offers AI-assisted cardiovascular screening for USD 5, Vaka is making risk assessment affordable even in low-income settings. Thousands of rural residents were reached in 2025 with telehealth triage, chronic disease monitoring, and health education.
This focus on specialised care also includes a partnership with Pan African Holistic Endometriosis Wellness Initiative to establish Africa’s first holistic endometriosis wellness centre in Uganda, improving diagnosis, education, and support for women across the region.
Vaka’s influence extends beyond clinical settings into economic empowerment. Its entrepreneurship programs have fostered women-led ventures like WilPhi Coffee and Talmo Rides, which reinvest their success back into community health initiatives.
Vaka’s work has been widely recognised this holistic approach has earned global acclaim, including the 2022 AAMEG Best Workforce and Industry Development Initiative Africa Award, and the 2025 Virtual Care Leadership Excellence Award from the MENA Telehealth Organisation was awarded to Dr Admore Jokwiro for pioneering accessible telehealth in low-resource settings.
Published May 2026