By Michael Gwarisa
From a distance, a thick cloud of dust rose above the Mopane-strewn horizon on the southern side of Muchohwe Primary School, deep in Chief Chireya’s territory in Gokwe North. Minutes later, a white twin-cab vehicle emerged, prompting cheers and ululation from the gathered community.
The vehicle carried more than just people. It was stocked with lifesaving vaccines, essential medications, and other critical health supplies for a mobile outreach program. As it rolled to a stop, healthcare workers stepped out, greeted like heroes by a crowd that had been waiting eagerly for hours.
These healthcare workers are part of an integrated outreach team under Phase 2 of the Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) initiative, bringing healthcare door-to-door in some of Gokwe’s most isolated areas. The main focus of this phase is vaccinating 10-year-old girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a key intervention in the fight against cervical cancer, alongside the Tetanus-Diphtheria (TD) vaccine for children at ages 5 and 10, and for pregnant women.
Women Walk Miles for Maternal Care
For many women in this region, basic healthcare services such as TD vaccinations or antenatal care remain a luxury. The terrain is rough, distances long, and transport costs steep.
“The nearest health facility is 15 kilometres away, so you either walk to and from, making it 30 kilometres round trip,” said Melorine Zome, a pregnant woman who had travelled a long distance to receive her TD shot.
She shared her concern about mothers giving birth at home without access to vaccinations or antenatal care. “I’ve seen some women opt to give birth at home, without any form of medical attention or vaccines to protect their newborns,” she said.
A Community Transformed
Within just three days, the outreach teams had visited several villages beyond Chief Chireya’s jurisdiction. Isaac Zishiri, a resident of Majichiri village under Charumbira in Gokwe North, described the treacherous conditions they used to endure to seek health services.
“People would travel to Chote on scotch carts. Sometimes, we crossed the crocodile-infested Chidamoyo River to get to Hurungwe for emergencies,” he said. “This program is a real help. It’s covering everyone from the young to the elderly. I hope it continues.”
Partners on the Ground
The ongoing vaccine rollout is being implemented in Gokwe North by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH). It is part of a broader US$1.5 billion Africa-wide campaign funded by Africa CDC and the Mastercard Foundation, aiming to reach over 65 million people with vaccines while strengthening health systems and routine immunisation services.
District Health Officer Ronald Shava said the integrated outreach approach is already making an impact. “We discovered that they are doing quite well because they are offering integrated outreach activities that are ongoing. They’re aware of the project’s needs, that is lifelong immunisation. In this instance, we’re majoring on HPV for 10-year-old girls, and TD vaccines at 5 and 10, and for pregnant women,” said Shava.
He added that community mobilisation was progressing successfully, thanks in part to trained Village Health Workers (VHWs) who are present even in remote catchments.
“At some outreach points like Sanyatmai and Mawanga, we saw trained cadets at work. Even when all three couldn’t be there, we found evidence of their activity in the form of referral slips in facility records.”
Some of the elderly people who attended the integrated outreach program under the Saving Lives program.
Dr Chidzewere Nzou, Programs Manager at the Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH), said: “As ZACH, we are supporting vaccinations that are now being delivered through an integrated approach. This means we support all vaccines administered to people across Zimbabwe, from under-five children to those covered under the life-course approach, which includes individuals aged nine and above.”
Under this life-course immunisation strategy, ZACH is supporting the rollout of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, targeting girls aged 10 and above, as well as the Tetanus and Diphtheria (TD) vaccine for pregnant women. The program is being implemented with support from Africa CDC, AMREF Health Africa based in Kenya, and the African Christian Health Association (ACHA).
Zimbabwe Red Cross is playing a key role in demand creation and community mobilisation through its network of Village Health Workers, while ZACH is working alongside the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure vaccines reach all vulnerable groups, including the elderly.
Strengthening the Health System
Gokwe District Nursing Officer, Caritas Mbombe explained that the programme, which began in July 2025, has significantly strengthened health delivery in hard-to-reach areas such as Coconuts.
Gokwe North has 28 health facilities—27 primary care centres and one district hospital. A total of 56 village health workers were trained from 22 of these facilities, with each facility having three dedicated VHWs. Of these, 25 are currently supported by ZACH to conduct regular outreach.
Facility-based outreaches are carried out for 16 days per month by local nurses. In parallel, a district-level outreach team comprising four nurses, and a driver targets the most remote locations.
But the services go beyond vaccines. “We’re addressing outpatient conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and mental health, in addition to immunisation,” said Mbombe. “Children aged 2 to 10 are receiving the TD vaccine, while HPV shots are administered to 10-year-old girls, both in schools and community setups.”
Reporting and Community Buy-in
Village Health Workers worked tirelessly to mobilise communities to come for vaccinations and integrated health services
Each VHW, after undergoing training, was equipped with reporting tools and now works five days a week, submitting monthly reports to their health facilities. Every facility also has a nurse assigned as a VHW advocate, who compiles and analyses these reports before submitting to the district, province, and national level.
Before the SLL programme, outreach efforts were severely constrained by fuel shortages and lack of transport. Communities often walked more than 20 kilometres just to access primary healthcare.
“Thanks to the Red Cross and ZACH, we now receive fuel and logistics support for both district and facility outreach teams,” said Mbombe. “Motorcycles are being used to reach deep rural areas. We’re confident this will improve vaccine uptake, especially for HPV and TD, and boost access to care for under-5s and common conditions like malaria, particularly in hotspots like Coconuts.”
She emphasised that buy-in from nurses and communities has been a key success factor. “The nurses are excited—they’re finally able to reach people who were previously left behind.”
Towela Mgemezulu, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Africa CDC expressed satisfaction at the ongoing outreach vaccinations in Gokwe
A Vision for Long-Term Change
As Phase 2 of the SLL programme runs through November 2025, there is optimism that its integrated model will go beyond increasing immunisation coverage to transform local healthcare delivery systems.
Mr. Elias Hwenga, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, highlighted the importance of driving vaccine demand. “Healthy communities are the backbone of a resilient nation. This programme is a real opportunity to achieve that vision. We’re grateful to our partners—Africa CDC, Mastercard Foundation, the Ministry of Health, and ZACH—for their continued trust and collaboration.”
The Africa CDC team, which conducted a recent monitoring visit to some of the outreach sites, expressed satisfaction with progress so far.
Towela Mgemezulu, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Africa CDC, said, “We are happy with what we’ve seen in both districts where this program is being rolled out. Our partners, ZACH and Zimbabwe Red Cross, are doing commendable work.”
Following a successful Phase 1 rollout in 2023, Phase 2 brings a more integrated approach. It includes one-stop health service delivery, expanded services for vulnerable groups, and a train-the-trainer model that builds long-term capacity among health workers and communities.
