TIBU Health Minute Clinics

TIBU Health

TIBU Health Minute Clinics

Embedding AI-enabled clinics in pharmacies to expand access to affordable outpatient care across low-income neighborhoods in Kenya.

Nairobi, Kenya

KEN

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

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Access to affordable, quality primary healthcare remains out of reach for millions of people in Kenya’s densely populated urban settlements. Public facilities are often overcrowded, under-resourced, and distant from where people live and work. Private clinics can be cost-prohibitive, unregulated, or inaccessible. As a result, many Kenyans delay care, rely on unqualified providers, or go untreated, thereby worsening preventable conditions and increasing long-term health system costs. According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, 80% of outpatient visits are for preventable or manageable conditions such as respiratory infections, diabetes, and hypertension. Yet primary care coverage in low-income areas remains patchy and fragmented. Meanwhile, over 40,000 private pharmacies operate across Kenya, often as the first point of contact for health advice, but they are rarely integrated into formal care delivery or digital systems. This problem is not unique to Kenya. Globally, the WHO estimates a shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, disproportionately affecting underserved populations. The current models of care are not scalable fast enough to meet this demand, especially in LMICs. A new, tech-enabled approach to scalable, decentralized primary care is urgently needed.

TIBU Minute Clinic's are pharmacy-based micro-clinics that deliver affordable and AI-supported primary care to the underprivileged populations in rural Kenya. Each clinic builds on a high-traffic pharmacy space, staffed by a licensed nurse or clinical officer, so patients can simply walk in for consultation, lab tests, health screening, or support services for chronic diseases without cost, travel, or time delays, unlike often experienced in traditional health care systems. Clinics are powered by TIBU Health’s proprietary tech stack including: 1) An EHR specially designed for low-resource settings 2) Laboratory Information System integrated within the same system 3) Chronic disease management for hypertension and diabetes 4) AI-enabled support for triaging and screening of patients and health education These clinics are supported by a centralized virtual care team, lab services, and a national agreement for rollout with Goodlife Pharmacy, the largest chain in East Africa. This model utilizes existing pharmacy infrastructure to close access gaps, reduce preventable morbidity, and create an equitable health system. With documented traction and profitability, it will rapidly replicate across strategic areas in Kenya and other emerging markets.

TIBU Minute Clinics serve low- and middle-income Kenyans living in densely populated urban neighborhoods, where access to quality, affordable healthcare is limited or inconsistent. This target population embraces the following: 1) Residents of informal settlements who have to make long travels to covered public facilities. 2) Urban workers and caregivers who do not have either time or money for the traditional care option. 3) People mostly involved in management of chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes without regular follow-up. 4) Women and youth who often face stigma, cost, or mobility barriers to care. These communities usually have to depend on unregulated drug shops or self-treatment or deferring treatment completely, resulting in worse health outcomes, greater expense, and unnecessary hospitalization. The minute clinics meet people where they already go: at neighborhood pharmacies. By embedding tech-enabled care into trusted retail locations, we offer a convenient, dignified, and affordable alternative to the status quo. Patients receive consultations, point-of-care diagnostics, chronic disease support, and referral coordination, all of which is within walking distance and at a price point they can afford.