RECENT graduates from Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) emerged as overall winners of the Cimas Healthathon 3.0 grand finale, walking away with the top prize of US$3 500 following a stiff competition held in Harare on Friday.
The duo of Panashe Chandiwana and Takudzwa Mukaro developed an app called SilicaGuard, designed to ease silicosis screening for artisanal miners and enhance early detection of the occupational lung disease.
Ten groups competed at the finale, drawn from a pool of 372 submissions across Zimbabwe.
Runtime Terrors claimed second place and a US$2000 cash prize, while BloodGeoAlert secured third position with US$1 500.
Speaking at the event, Cimas Health Group chief executive officer Vulindlela Ndlovu said healthcare challenges required broad collaboration.
“Healthcare challenges cannot be solved by one institution alone, but require collaboration. At the end of the day, we should converge on improving the patient,” Ndlovu said.
Judges assessed projects on their ability to address genuine healthcare problems, improve access, reduce costs and demonstrate originality.
SilicaGuard stood out for targeting health risks among artisanal miners by combining community-based screening, artificial intelligence, referral tracking and data collection.
In a speech read on behalf of Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora, Public Health chief director Celestino Dhege commended the innovation, noting that this year’s theme Reimagining Healthcare Through Disruptive Innovation aligns with current national health demands.
“Innovation is not only about technology or software. It is about doing things differently and better,” Mombeshora said in the speech read by Dhege.
“It is a new way of financing care so that more families are protected. It is a smarter referral pathway that saves a life. It is a locally made diagnostic or medicine. It is a community health worker reaching a village that a clinic cannot. Digital tools are a powerful enabler, but the real innovation lies in the outcomes we deliver for our people.”
Full list of winners:
* Position 1: SilicaGuard
* Position 2: Runtime Terrors
* Position 3: Blood Geo Alert
* Position 4: The Interns
* Position 5: Mambokadzi
* Position 6: Girls Who Code
* Position 7: Lango
* Position 8: Chengetai Health
* Position 9: Grip Co
* Position 10: Team Viva
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