Debora Masheti

Pioneered affordable healthcare solutions for African women through innovative business models

Debora Masheti (b.1975) revolutionized healthcare access in East Africa by founding Masheti Healthcare in 2001. Starting with a mobile clinic in Ethiopia's rural Oromia region, she developed a franchise model that now operates 120+ clinics across 6 countries. Her Women's Health Basket program provides essential maternal care services for as little as $5 through creative pricing strategies involving local cooperatives. Masheti pioneered the use of SMS-based appointment systems in 2008, later expanding to telemedicine platforms that now serve 2.3 million patients annually. Her work reducing maternal mortality rates by 40% in partner regions earned recognition from the World Health Organization in 2015. Masheti's business model has been replicated in Malawi and Tanzania through the African Health Innovations Network she co-founded in 2012.