Rumbidzai MUPFUTI, from Zimbabwe, is a medical doctor and epidemiologist currently pursuing a PhD in public health at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her doctoral research focuses on multimorbidity in an aging population in rural north-east South Africa. Using advanced methods including machine learning, her work investigates how the epidemiological transition from communicable diseases to noncommunicable diseases has influenced mortality, physical functioning, and lived experiences in rural communities. Her work foregrounds rural older women—many of whom are HIV survivors, widows, and grandmothers caring for orphaned grandchildren, who continue to sustain families and communities while managing multiple chronic conditions requiring complex treatment and management.
Rumbidzai is currently involved in a research project at the MRC/Wits Agincourt Research Unit , on the health and aging among middle-aged and older adults, an urgent and understudied issue in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the research also includes the use of AI-assisted echocardiograms and portable MRI in rural communities, which she is actively involved in.
Beyond her academic work, she volunteers with the She Matters, supporting capacity building and mentorship for female undergraduate and master’s students in public health–related fields.
By integrating research, technology, mentorship, and policy-relevant evidence, Rumbidzai is committed to advancing health equity for women and children, strengthening rural health systems, and healthy aging across Africa.
