The Power House Redefining Healthcare Accessibility in Africa

Imagine accessing medical consultations, lab tests, medications, and even chronic care management without a smartphone.

With over 80 awards and recognitions for this incredible work, Zuri Health has accomplished this and much more. Today, they have served over 3 million people across nine African countries, bringing quality health care through various impactful initiatives to everyone, regardless of their location or income level. 

Our Guest today is Daisy Isiaho . She is one of the amazing co-founders and the Chief Product Officer at Zuri Health , an innovative health care platform that connects users to doctors, labs, pharmacies, and wellness tools through mobile apps, SMS, and web. Here are some, out of their pool of accomplishments:

• They launched their Mobile Clinic Bus, fully equipped with a dental suite, x-ray, and lab, which has been pivotal in reaching underserved areas and is now the beating heart of their Continuous Care Program.
• In partnership with myMedicines (Aha) Nigeria, they rolled out myZuriCare, their chronic disease management program, ensuring patients with long-term conditions get consistent, high-quality care.
• They integrated AI-powered rPPG screening in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, enabling earlier detection of hypertension and other chronic conditions, which led to the start of their clinical research, further validating and optimizing this groundbreaking tech.
• They are piloting their Care Now, Pay Later (CNPL) model with major telcos—Safaricom in Kenya, MTN in Zambia, and Telecel in Ghana—to make healthcare financing more accessible.
• They have hosted impactful free medical camps with partners like Safaricom, Mpesa Foundation, and Betika, reaching thousands who would otherwise go without care.
• They surpassed $6 million in GMV, marking their highest revenue milestone yet.

They are all about creating a healthcare system that works for everyone, especially those often left behind.

(Read our interview with Daisy below)

Hi, Daisy, welcome to the show!        

Hi, Temidayo. Thank you so much. I'm so honored to be here. 

How would you describe yourself in a sentence?         

Daisy is a very optimistic, charismatic, and simple girl who thrives in change. I like change. My caveat is that whatever you do, don't remain in the same position. I believe that coming into this world, everyone has a purpose, and it could be anything. But for me, what keeps me going is change and being very optimistic about life. 

Wow! I love the word Change. I was meditating on it a few days ago, and I realized that it's a necessary part of life, and sometimes we have to take the step to initiate it. If someone made a movie about your life, what would the title be?         

The Adventures of Daisy. 

What's one sentence or series of sentences that best describes your journey so far?          

I’ll say faith-filled, resilience, passion, people, and perseverance. 

Wow! I love that. Can you take us on your journey to building Zuri Health?         

My journey started a few years back. Immediately after studying, I got an opportunity to work with young entrepreneurs who were building tech solutions. My background is in tech. I did maths and computer science. I’ve always loved challenges. Studying mathematics makes you think critically and logically in different scenarios. And like I said earlier, I like change. I like challenges. I like being thrown into sink or swim scenarios.

During COVID, I was on lockdown with my mom back at home. My mom is a medical doctor. Both of my parents have medical backgrounds. And for the longest time, it was my mom's vision and prayer that I become a medical doctor. Unfortunately, I didn't go on that journey. So, at the peak of COVID-19, as we were building and working, building different tech solutions, I got to interact with my current co-founder, Ike. Zuri Health is a father's promise to his daughter. It is named after Ike's firstborn daughter, Zuri, whom he almost lost at childbirth. And this is what drove our mission to build Zuri Health. At the time he approached me, I was working on a different project. So, he said, “I've been building this and I think with your expertise and experience, you can fill the gap, help me bring this vision to life.” Immediately, he told me about Zuri Health as a project. I got immensely happy, because I thought to myself that it would be the first time my mom would appreciate what I do. She will see how technology ties into healthcare. So, I took it very personally. Also, for me, building during COVID exposed the underbelly of healthcare challenges. So, we were able to scale and grow fast. It was very easy for us to get new market entries, because people then understood how technology can be used to provide healthcare accessibility - connecting with doctors, healthcare service providers, impacting people's lives, and improving care. This is the overview of how Zuri Health was born. Four years down the line, we've scaled, dimension has grown -we have presence in nine African markets - and we are continuously building. 

We strongly believe that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.  

What was the exact moment you knew you just had to start?         

For me, it was COVID, because it exposed the healthcare gaps - people who could afford healthcare could no longer afford it, even big nations that are not typical African nations were shut down because of COVID. And the fact that we could have audio-visual consultations with different people online, in the same way, we should be able to utilize these kinds of tools to bridge healthcare. So, that was an aha moment. Also, as we build, there are aha moments; when you touch someone's life, when you see someone's life change because they got access to care, and they're able to get what they wouldn’t have easily accessed. When we dive into the painful problems that we face in Africa, we’d realize that most people who died passed due to preventable health issues. So, to be able to empower communities, provide free screening, medication, and continuously provide access to care, empowering anyone with a mobile device, regardless of their location, their health history, or background,  it’s always an aha moment. At Zuri Health, we strongly believe that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.  

 If you can afford a bottle of water, you should be able to afford healthcare. 

I love it when you mentioned that you provide healthcare services to people who do not have smartphones. For me, that's the highest point of impact. I feel like people who are underserved should still be able to get access to basic needs. If you can achieve that, then you are doing something great. How did you pull that off? And did it start in rural parts of Kenya?         

Part of our success is growth through partnerships. So, we could not do it alone, and I don't take credit all by myself. There are a lot of stakeholders who play a part in our success. Part of them are the telcos that provide connectivity. So, for anyone who doesn't have a smartphone, like our grandpas in the village, they can chat with Doctors through SMS text. And this is successful because of our partnerships with the telcos - the likes of Safaricom, Airtel, MTN, Orange, they provided this connectivity. Then we also collaborated with hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, labs, and diagnostic centers, who are our fulfillment partners. They do the last-mile delivery of our services and products. We also brought on board different doctors. One of the biggest problems we face in Africa is that we don't have enough doctors. And the few doctors that we have are either relocating outside their countries or moving to the city areas, leaving those in the rural areas.

So, we were able to build an ecosystem working together. And people you would typically consider as our competitors were actually our partners. These are the key people who shaped our understanding of our role. 

Then, looking back at the early innovations, most of them were built for smartphones. Everyone was building apps. But when you talk about healthcare, you should not cut or limit people accessing the service because it's one-channel based. Our approach was to meet people at their point of need. If you can afford a bottle of water, you should be able to afford healthcare. So, we plugged in our services on multiple channels, where you can get consultations with a doctor, order medication, book your lab test across any channel - SMS, WhatsApp, Websities, as long as you have a mobile phone. And beyond that, we also have our traditional ways to reach the underserved communities, i.e., using mobile clinics. These are hospitals on wheels, fully embedded with consultation rooms, x-ray rooms, dental suites, and labs that go into underserved communities to provide care. 

The biggest problem we encountered was cost. In the earlier days, we were able to provide very affordable healthcare services. But most people typically don't save towards their healthcare. So, you'll find that the gap of having a less than 2% insured market and the pain of people paying out of pocket, which is extremely expensive. 

We had to build innovative tools that are incorporated into consumer behavior. So, right now, we've rolled out our ‘Care now, Pay later’ scheme, where you can get care on credit. Then you can pay back over time. No one plans to be sick. You don't wake up and say, ‘Today, I want to get malaria.’ It gets you off guard, right? And people have very limited opportunities to decide if they want to spend their full lifetime savings towards getting access to healthcare, or funding for their family to get food and basic needs. 

So, when building around healthcare, these are the different types of issues that we need to navigate. Also, ensuring that, as an innovator, you build a very innovative, scalable model that provides impact towards the entire ecosystem - your end users, the paying customers, the partners, your team members - how are you changing their lives? That’s how we got here - a lot of people and organizations brought their expertise and skill set on board, and we are very grateful that we had this foundation in our early days.  

You don't need to play small to make others comfortable.

Wow! I'm excited to hear this. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?         

You don't need to play small to make others comfortable, and you're not too much. You're just right. So, whatever dreams you have, whatever vision, it's upon you to make it come to life. Forget all the voices saying you can’t, and do it passionately.  

There are low and high moments, but we never forget why we started.

What's a struggle from your early days as an entrepreneur that people don't know about?        

I think the first was getting that buy-in. You don’t get a lot of people when you're in the ideation stage. You don't get a lot of people believing in what you're trying to build, or if it's going to work. So, it was hard for us to educate and also prove our value again and again.

We struggled with proving that we can build a profitable and sustainable health tech business. This is because we don't have many in the market that can prove profitability. People assume you're only building a business that would be sustainable only through donor funding.

So, that aspect was challenging in the beginning. Also, accessing funding was another issue. It's very hard to build when you don't have the key and the right resources. But we've been resilient, we've been pushing, and we always say nothing is perfect, when things are right, in their own time, they sprout. It's been a journey where we've been taken through God's grace because sometimes we make things happen, and you're not sure how you got there, but when you look back and see the fulfillment of the promise that God is holding your hand. There are low and high moments, but we never forget why we started.

What was the biggest “this might not work" moment during the execution phase? And how did you push through that?         

There are a lot of projects that we thought would not work. First, there was a moment when we had a very dangerously low runway, and we were not sure how to navigate it. There was no money coming in, lots of startups were closing and shutting down. That was when we realized that we can't survive on one revenue model. So, we had to diversify our revenue streams. It was a sink or swim situation, and we had to make it work. We considered different opportunities and worked on getting the right team on board. If you go wrong by hiring the wrong team, it can significantly impact your business. You have to be surrounded by people who are aligned with your vision and mission. 

Also, when we started, most people knew us as a COVID-19 testing company, because we used to do inbound and outbound COVID-19 testing for different travelers. We asked ourselves, what happens when we no longer need to rely on COVID tests?  How do we diversify? How do we utilize the opportunities we've acquired in the number of our customers?  How do we continuously provide more value? 

These are just some “this might not work” moments we encountered. 

What's the craziest or boldest risk you've ever taken? And did it pay off?         

Again, during COVID, I had to quit a well-paying job to build ZuriHealth. When we started, I remember going about three months without a salary. I started with a strong belief in the vision. My people complained that people are losing jobs because of the pandemic, and here I was, quitting to start an uncertain path. Now, I look back and realize it was a big, bold move, which eventually paid off. And here we are.

What's the single best decision you made for your business or your career?        

The best decision is being surrounded by a team that cares. Zuri Health is a personal journey for us. I have a beautiful working relationship with my co-founders, Ike and Titi. We have a very diverse team. Everyone comes on board with their different skill sets, knowledge, and contributions. And we've blended in so well. 

We understand our strengths, weaknesses, and where we want to see ourselves in the next five to ten years. And it's one of the best decisions that we've ever made. We are creating a culture that is deeply rooted in our mission. And that's our secret sauce.  

What's one mistake that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for you, Daisy?         

A couple. You're always bound to make a lot of mistakes when starting. There was a time when we launched a feature too early, and it flopped. The partnership that we had relied on didn’t yield as we envisioned it. But because of that failure, we had a very raw and real feedback, which made us understand how to navigate the complexities of running health tech startups on the continent. So, we launched in a new market. 

A key example. We went live in Senegal. At first, it went super well. Then our partner had internal challenges, and we had to shut down operations in Senegal. After that experience, we're now always aware of how to de-risk our business by doing extensive research on the different partners, the connectivities, the technology, and being able to scale by leveraging them. So, the Senegal story shaped us. It paved the way for us to learn from mistakes that should not be repeated. Now, we are keen on revisiting and going back live in the market with these strategies in place. 

Other mistakes also helped us to understand the key regulations around healthcare. We process a lot of patients' data, whose information is highly confidential. We needed to be able to build systems that are end-to-end encrypted and ensure that we can securely safeguard patients' confidential information. Right now, when we look at our systems, they're highly secure, and we're fully compliant in providing an end-to-end fantastic patient journey. 

If you could teach one success principle to every young African, what would it be?          

Start now. Start small. Whatever you want to do, just start. There's never the right moment to start building. There's never a time you'll be fully ready. Even with my wealth of experience, I still learn along the way. So, there's never the perfect moment to start something. If you have the courage, this is the right moment to start. So, build whatever you need to build with the limited resources that you have, but eventually, people will catch up. 

We have to build solutions for ourselves because no one is coming to save us.

What inspired you the most on this journey, and why?         

My Mom inspired me a lot on this journey. Every day during COVID, I would watch her wake up, get prepared to go to the hospital to attend to patients. I would think to myself, how can I make her life easier? Right? So, she's been very inspirational. I'm in health tech because of her, her faith, her prayers, and the understanding that this is where I belong.

Is there any book, quote, or lesson that completely changed your mindset at any point?         

The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent. I have read it a great number of times. It's why I'm very optimistic about life. Walking your path has to be influenced by thinking positively. If you always think about the good things, good things will come your way. If you're always scared and think about failure, for some reason, you will fail. But when you instill your mindset with positive inputs, they build you up to keep pushing. 

What is the biggest mindset shift that young Africans need to make?        

We have to build solutions for ourselves because no one is coming to save us. So, it's upon us to build and shape the lives we want. I remember a few weeks ago when Trump cut USAID funding, everyone was asking how we would survive as Africans. I don’t see it that way. We have the right people, resources, and we can work on getting the right leaders. We need to build with what we have, and we can change our lifestyles by building the future, step by step. I think we have the possibility of making  

If your work disappeared today, what would Africa lose?        

If Zuri Health disappeared today, millions of people would lose access to quality healthcare because of what we do. We are building very sustainable solutions, and we want to be that bridge between the forgotten communities and the healthcare that sees them. 

How does your work contribute to shaping the future of Africa?         

We are proving that healthcare innovation can be African-led, African-grown, and radically impactful. This is how we are shaping the future of Africa because it starts with us.  

What's your boldest vision for Africa in the next 10 years?         

Part of our vision at Zuri Health is to see people living longer, happier, and healthier lives. And this is what we mean when we say no one should die from preventive healthcare. Regardless of where you find yourself, you should be able to access some form of healthcare. You should not die due to illnesses like malaria. We should be able to manage these healthcare issues. I believe by empowering people with basic things like how to administer first aid at home, care for their health, and bodies. 

We are the most underserved continent when it comes to healthcare. We bear the highest disease burden in the world, and we want to change that. So this is what I want to see in the next 10 years. 

How can people be part of your mission or support what you do?         

We are very much open to partnerships and collaboration. You can simply spread the word. We believe that advocacy is very powerful, and it starts with taking care of your health. By being empowered to take the right measures towards good health and educating others to do the same, you have supported Zuri.

You've had so many awards and recognitions. Over 80 awards and recognitions. Can you tell us about one or two that you're most proud of and why they mean so much to you?         

Well, there are so many I am proud of. One I'm very proud of is when I got the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award. I like to challenge women and empower women, so I was happy about that award. We've also had a couple of innovation awards from different stakeholders like Big Pharma, but the recent one, which showcased the impact that we're making, was at the African Tech Summit in Nairobi as the Best Health Tech Award in 2025. Also, we were one of the first African companies to be able to join the Mayo Clinic Accelerator Program, which shows our mission to provide quality care and collaboration. We have Sankalp and UNDP Timbuktu. All of these acknowledge that we are on the right path.  

Is there any one project or opportunity you're currently excited about?         

Absolutely. We're currently refining our women's health program. We also have our ‘Care Now, Pay Later’ project that we are building with Telcos. This will unlock healthcare access in a way that we've never seen before. We want to provide access to care, and we don't want people’s excuses to be that they could not access care because they couldn’t afford it. So, we are embedding financial layers to empower the communities to access healthcare, diving towards universal health insurance coverage.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?        

I wish to be a unicorn in five years, still a simple girl building, dreaming, hopefully leading a continental network of health innovators, and uplifting others as I climb. I want to mentor more of the younger, upcoming women to follow in my footsteps and build.  

How can people connect with you and follow your journey?         

Well, you can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisyisiaho  

You can also follow Zuri Health on all social media platforms. We recently shot a YouTube series called Njeri, an educational way of teaching the young generation about sexual and reproductive health and the use of contraceptives. You can also visit our website at https://zuri.health/. 

Watch the full conversation with Daisy on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/nKO7_J_bDWQ?si=aDQYutoxgN-SMlQh 

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