Co-Creating the Future of TB Control in Zimbabwe

On April 24th, EPCON had the privilege of managing a highly engaging co-creation workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, bringing together more than 30 participants from across the National TB Program (NTP) and all implementing partners. The workshop marked a key milestone in a new initiative supported by UNOPS through the Stop TB Partnership, aimed at strengthening TB control efforts in Zimbabwe through innovative, data-driven approaches.

A Truly Collaborative Effort

What made this workshop particularly impactful was the diversity of perspectives in the room. Representatives from organizations including UZT, ZHI, FACT, BOHST, and government stakeholders worked side by side, creating a strong foundation for collaboration.

From the very start, the energy in the room was clear: this was not a traditional workshop. It was a space designed for open dialogue, shared learning, and joint problem-solving.

From Understanding to Action

The workshop was carefully structured to move from alignment to action. After setting the context and sharing a common vision, participants dove into:

• Understanding current ACF strategies and decision-making processes

• Exploring the drug supply chain and identifying inefficiencies

• Hands-on training with the Epi-control platform

This hands-on component allowed participants to directly experience how data and AI can support more precise, efficient planning and monitoring.

The Power of Co-Creation

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the co-creation session. Participants were divided into groups and challenged to answer a simple but powerful question:

“What would your ideal dashboard and geoportal look like?”

The results were inspiring.

Teams brought forward creative and practical ideas on:

• Key indicators needed for both strategic and operational decision-making

• Real-time monitoring features to support field teams

• Integration of different data sources into one unified view

• The need to visualise yield and NNS.

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These insights are invaluable. They ensure that the solutions we build are not only technically strong, but truly aligned with the realities on the ground. As emphasized during the session, co-designing tools with end-users is essential to ensure adoption, usability, and long-term impact.

Building Toward Impact

This workshop was more than just a one-day event, it was the starting point of a collaborative journey.

By combining:

• Local expertise and operational knowledge

• Strong partner engagement

• Advanced analytical tools like EPCON’s Epi-control platform

we are collectively building a pathway toward more efficient, targeted, and impactful TB interventions in Zimbabwe.

The enthusiasm, openness, and commitment from all participants made this workshop a true success. It reinforced a simple but powerful idea: The best solutions are not built in isolation, they are co-created.

What’s Next?

The insights gathered during this session will directly inform:

• The design of dashboards and geoportals tailored to Zimbabwe’s needs

• Improved monitoring and evaluation frameworks

• More targeted and efficient ACF strategies through microplanning

We look forward to continuing this collaboration and translating these ideas into real-world impact on the ground.