Impact – HE

Ripples of Change:

Broadening Health Impact
Community by Community

Our innovative model focuses on the dual impact of improving health outcomes while fostering economic growth and job creation.

Our Impact at a Glance

9%
reduction of annual health budget of a rural family served by HE

20,000
CHEs onboarded across the different countries

55% cost savings
on basic health for 22,000,000 customers

Increase in access to healthcare

Healthy Entrepreneurs empowers local entrepreneurs to deliver affordable, high-quality healthcare in remote areas, strengthening connections with district health systems and advancing Universal Health Coverage. By improving access, affordability, and quality, our model enhances community health systems, enabling early detection, increased referrals, and effective delivery of proven health interventions. This approach reduces costs, supports economic growth through job creation, and builds resilience against future health crises, ensuring long-term health and productivity for rural populations.

Number of CHEs onboarded across the different countries

20,000

Number of rural communities served by the CHEs

150 Households per CHE

Serving 750 people

Cost savings on basic health for 22,000,000 customers

55% cost saving

Types of healthcare products distributed and the volume (number) of essential products

Medicine and pain relief : 850,000
Skin care and Hygiene : 460,000
Nutrition and Prevention : 370,000
Female focus : 75,000
Diagnostic tools and Support Materials : 60,000

Creating sustainable jobs

Healthy Entrepreneurs has created over 20,000 fulfilling and dignified job opportunities in underserved communities, offering living wages, safe working conditions, and a chance to make a meaningful societal impact. By combining health improvement with economic empowerment, our model fuels workforce development through education, training, coaching, and sustainable supply chains, ensuring community health workers can effectively meet the needs of their communities while fostering long-term growth and prosperity.

Twice as many patients referred by CHEs

spent 20% more time on health work

Reduction of annual health budget of a rural family served by HE

% of female/male CHEs

Male – 40%

Female – 60%

Minimum doubling of income for

20,000 CHEs onboarded.

Our Daily Work

Remote communities shouldn’t have to compromise on healthcare. Our telehealth services connect underserved areas with medical professionals, offering consultations, diagnoses, and treatment advice from the comfort of familiar settings. Designed to support Community Health Workers, our model builds capacity through regular activities focused on key health areas, including reproductive health, maternal and child health, malaria, HIV, nutrition, and hygiene, ensuring comprehensive care for those who need it most.

Supporting outputs

Number of impact products in assortment

In the assortment, on average there are 45-50 items of which 65% are preventative, and remaining 35% are simple over the counter medicines. The range is aligned with national governments.

Reduced cost

Products are procured directly at producers and delivered straight to Community Health Entrepreneurs reducing the cost with 10-15% versus the regular market

Value of credit offered to increase availability

Community Health Entrepreneurs have access to a credit facility ranging between $25 to $75 per month, based on their performance. Healthy Entrepreneurs has currently distributed $600,000 value of credit

Marketing to support demand creation

Programs are designed to support health workers to promote healthy behavior and practices, used during public meetings and at home visits

Telehealth consultations

Telehealth services connect entrepreneurs directly with expert medical professionals, offering consultations, diagnoses, and treatment advice – all from the comfort of a familiar location

Coaching sessions offered

Healthy Entrepreneurs experts have weekly contact with all Community Health Entrepreneurs in the program. During sessions, challenges are discussed, next steps for growing business are agreed on, and credit is provided

Refresher courses

All Community Health Workers in the program join 6 face-to-face sessions, where health and business topics are discussed with fellow entrepreneurs

Deliveries of health commodities

Deliveries of health commodities products are delivered every 2-3 weeks to all community health workers in the program. Entrepreneurs are ordering products using the product application and making online payments

Number of telehealth consultations

Remote communities shouldn’t have to compromise on healthcare. Our telehealth services connect them directly with expert medical professionals, offering consultations, diagnoses, and treatment advice – all from the comfort of a familiar location.

Expanding health product Diversity

Expanding Services:Community Health Workers expand their roles under the guidance of telehealth experts and pharmacists, advancing Universal Health Coverage and reducing healthcare costs.

Benefits of Home-Based Care: Home-based care eliminates patient travel costs, reduces government and insurer expenses, and boosts population productivity through healthier communities.

Focused Programs: Current initiatives address malnutrition and stunting, improve chronic disease management, and optimize service provision costs.

Tailored Solutions: Programs are customised to national and regional needs, and developed collaboratively with governments to tackle specific health challenges.

Saving lives through health product access

Healthy Entrepreneurs? A network of over 22,000 local heroes and counting – our Community Health Entrepreneurs. Trained in healthcare and business, they’re equipped with everything they need to make a sustainable impact and healthier communities: health products, smartphones, and the knowledge to deliver essential services right where they’re needed most. This sustainable model ensures reliable access to quality healthcare and education, even in the most remote areas.

Explore our latest research and insights: Publications

Research and evaluation

Our research agenda is designed to support the scale-up of the Community Health Entrepreneurs approach and its associated innovations. By combining monitoring and research activities, we generate actionable, scientifically robust insights to enhance health impact, efficiency, and scalability. This work builds a sustainable business case, ensuring better health outcomes for underserved communities in rural and remote areas, while delivering care at the lowest possible cost.

In collaboration with leading research institutes across our intervention countries, alongside Erasmus University and Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands, we ensure our findings are comprehensive and impactful. Recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 innovators in primary health care, and by ASHOKA as a proven and scalable social business model, Healthy Entrepreneurs continues to set the standard for community health innovation.

Explore our latest research and insights: Publications

Top 10 Innovator for primary Health By WHO

Echoes of Impact

Transforming Lives Through Community Health

My name is Rose Apondi, and I am a Community Health Entrepreneur (CHE) in the Manywanda Cluster, West Seme Ward. For over a decade, I served my community as a Community Health Promoter, tirelessly advocating for health awareness and access to basic healthcare services. However, I often felt limited in my ability to provide holistic solutions to the challenges my community faced, especially for individuals managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and diabetes. In 2023, my journey took a transformative turn when I joined Healthy Entrepreneurs. Equipped with training, resources, and an expanded scope of service delivery, I transitioned from a promoter to an empowered entrepreneur. Today, I am not just a trusted community Health & NCD advocate but also a reliable provider of essential health products and services right at the doorsteps of the families I serve. This role has also allowed me to contribute to my own household income. For me, my work is more than just a job; it’s a mission. I take time to educate my clients on the importance of adhering to their treatment regimens and making healthy lifestyle choices. With every delivery, I foster trust and build a healthier community, one household at a time, making health personal.

The e-dispensing solution has allowed me to streamline my services, ensuring my clients receive the right medications promptly. By bridging the gap between healthcare facilities and my community, I not only improve health outcomes but also inspire others in the Manywanda Cluster to embrace preventive and ongoing care for NCDs. My story is a testament to the power of innovation and commitment in transforming healthcare access. I am proud to empower my community through sustainable, last-mile health solutions

Rose Apondi

Kenya, Manywanda

My name is ZONGO Kiswendsida Céline. I am twenty years old, married, and a mother of three children. I come from Tuili in the Kombissiri health district. I am engaged as an ASBC (Community Health Worker) with the government on behalf of the village of Tuili/Kombissiri. My partner and I act as the interface between our community and the Tuili Health and Social Promotion Center. We support health training in the implementation of a set of integrated services designed and organized to contribute to improving the health of our community. These services include preventive, promotional, re-adaptive, and curative care, depending on the context.

Since starting my collaboration with Healthy Entrepreneurs (HE) in 2024, I have experienced many advantages. The benefits I earn from my job have significantly improved my living conditions. Here are some of the achievements I have managed to make: Assisting my husband: I help manage family expenses, including purchasing clothes and shoes, improving our diet with my contributions, and participating in the management of family healthcare. Helping my parents: I can now support my parents financially from time to time, something I couldn’t do before. Boosting my self-confidence: My self-esteem has grown, allowing me to face many challenges both in the workplace and in everyday life. Enhancing my engagement as an ASBC: I am more aware of the importance of my work for my community, which has greatly increased my motivation. Looking ahead, I hope the work I do with HE continues to grow because of the benefits it brings to me, my community, and my work. I also wish HE could review the prices of some products to allow us to sell them cheaper than in the marketplace and achieve a better profit margin.

ZONGO Kiswendsida Céline

Burkina Faso

Through my work as a CHE I make a profit of at least 150,000 UGX per month. I am a single parent of four children, but my job has allowed me to pay for a house and put all my children in school – my youngest is in 6th grade and the two oldest have passed university. Through the CHE-training I am now acknowledged by the community as a “musawo” – a health worker. My most memorable experience as a CHE is of a patient who came to me with all hope lost after having visited different clinics without getting better. When she tried my recommended medication, she got better and came back to me with a crate of eggs in appreciation for the help I gave to her. These experiences make me so proud of my job as a CHE.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Before I became a Community Health Entrepreneur (CHE), I was just a housewife. I farmed at home and had a nursery school with two classes. When I heard about the CHE training, I decided to join. I have 10 children and before I became a CHE I was struggling to pay for the older ones’ education. Now, I’ve been able to ensure that the younger ones are all in school, using the profit I make as a CHE. I’ve invested in livestock and expanded my school that now goes to grade 7 and I’ve renovated my home. Becoming a CHE has not only improved my financial situation but also given me a sense of purpose and respect within my community. I’m grateful for the opportunities it has brought me and excited for what the future holds.

The training motivated me though I’d never taken a loan before, and this got me worried at first. Starting out, I faced challenges as many people we started with dropped out, but I persisted, and I managed to pay off the loan given to me. Being recognized as “musawo” (healthworker in Luganda) at community gatherings fills me with pride, and I’m more confident now, knowing I’m no longer struggling financially.

Sarah

Uganda , Luganda