Dr. Mosima Mabunda is the Chief Clinical Officer at Discovery Vitality, an evidence-based behavior change platform that combines actuarial with behavioral science to help individuals make healthier choices. Dr. Mabunda has years of experience in healthcare across clinical practice, pharmaceuticals, consulting, and executive management. Dr. Mabunda attended medical school at University of Cape Town, received her MBA from the University of Oxford, and is currently completing a Masters of Health Care Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Mosima Mabunda, Chief Clinical Officer at Discovery Vitality
The Pulse: Can you walk us through your background, how that led you to Discovery Vitality, and what the scope of your role as Chief Clinical Officer looks like?
Dr. Mosima Mabunda: I began my career as a medical doctor, driven by a passion to help prevent illness and help individuals become the best healthy version of themselves. My early experiences working in health systems in South Africa, and briefly in the United Kingdom, revealed the profound challenges posed by preventable illnesses. These systems were predominantly reactive, with limited focus and emphasis on disease prevention, which placed immense strain on both the infrastructure and the individuals it served. Witnessing this imbalance inspired me to envision a world where health systems and society prioritize disease prevention and holistic health promotion to nudge individuals to lead healthy lifestyles. My journey since then has been shaped by diverse experiences across South Africa, the United Kingdom and Uganda, spanning roles in clinical practice, pharmaceuticals, consulting, and executive management.
I’ve always been passionate about prevention, but since this is not a job description, I’ve had the fortune of working to address this desired outcome across a variety of organizations and industries. Subsequent roles at McKinsey & Company, Roche, and Accenture allowed me to merge clinical expertise with strategy, innovation, and behavioral science. These experiences ultimately led me to Discovery Vitality, a globally recognized science-based behavior change program, where I serve as Chief Clinical Officer. In this role, I lead clinical strategy, drive health and wellness programs, and spearhead groundbreaking research to improve member health outcomes.
The Pulse: What does the current healthcare landscape in South Africa look like in terms of population health and major players? How does Discovery Vitality fit within this ecosystem?
MM: South Africa’s healthcare system operates within a dual-tiered structure, with approximately 8.5% of GDP allocated to healthcare. Of this, roughly 50% is directed to the public sector, which serves about 85% of the population, while the remaining 50% funds the private sector, catering to the remaining 15%. The public sector is tax-funded, while the private sector is primarily funded by employers and employees. This stark imbalance in funding highlights significant inequities. The public sector offers free or subsidized care through clinics and hospitals, but faces challenges such as resource constraints, staff shortages, and aging infrastructure. Conversely, the private sector, delivers advanced, holistic care, but is characterized by high costs and overutilization.
Compounding these structural challenges is the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers, which now rank among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in South Africa. This trend reflects shifts in lifestyle, such as urbanization, sedentary behaviors, and poor dietary choices, placing additional strain on an already overburdened system. Addressing this crisis requires a paradigm shift towards prevention, early detection, and health promotion.
Discovery Vitality plays a pivotal role in promoting healthier lifestyles by incentivizing members to make and sustain positive health choices. Additionally, the program contributes to advancing the evidence base on how healthy lifestyle behaviors impact disease burden and health outcomes, both in South Africa and globally. Published research consistently demonstrates that applying behavioral science principles in a clinical context, combined with leveraging advancements in technology, significantly enhances patient engagement with the healthcare system. This approach drives higher screening rates and sustained adoption of healthy habits, such as regular exercise. Ultimately, it translates into lower healthcare costs among health plan members on Vitality compared to those not on the program.
By reducing the risk of NCDs and improving population health, Discovery Vitality not only benefits its members but can also alleviate the pressure on health systems. This shared-value approach aligns with national strategies to integrate prevention into healthcare delivery, positioning Vitality as a transformative partner in reshaping South Africa’s health ecosystem.
I’m also pleased to say that we’re already demonstrating the applicability of these learnings to the United States healthcare system. Vitality now has 2.5 million members in the USA, through health plans and corporate purchasers.
The Pulse: What does sustainable change look like at the patient level for improving health decisions and outcomes? How does Discovery Vitality support this?
MM: Sustainable change at the patient level involves simplifying engagement in healthy behaviors through personalization, making the healthy choice the easy choice, and minimizing barriers to action. Advances in technology, including data science and machine learning, enable us to tailor health actions and communication to an individual’s clinical needs and personal context. Discovery Vitality leverages these innovations to motivate individuals to make the right choices for their health.
Our Vitality Habit Index, published in collaboration with the London School of Economics, underscores that building and maintaining consistent health habits is critical for sustainable change. The research highlights that even small, incremental improvements in physical activity, diet, and regular screenings can lead to substantial gains in life expectancy and reduced healthcare costs.
The Pulse: The wellness space often experiences short-lived trends. Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, what innovations do you foresee as enduring?
MM: The most enduring shift I see, one that the pandemic has accelerated, is the growing appetite among individuals for health information and their desire to be actively involved in decisions about their care. People want to make sense of the health and wellness information they encounter and understand how—or if—it applies to them. This has sparked an era of patient-driven engagement, which, when effectively supported, can significantly improve adherence and health outcomes.
Shared decision-making has long been a pillar of effective care, but to make it truly impactful, individuals must be reliably informed. The challenge lies in curating clinically credible and validated information, cutting through the noise of misinformation, and personalizing insights to each person’s unique context.
I’m also seeing a significant shift toward the formal “prescription” of healthy lifestyle behaviors—such as exercise, healthy eating, and sleep—mirroring the approach used for medications. This emerging trend acknowledges that lifestyle interventions are not just important, but essential, and prescribing them with clear instructions—such as the specific activity, dose, frequency, and duration—reduces cognitive load for individuals. By breaking down broad recommendations like “lifestyle management” into actionable, specific, and timely instructions, we reduce friction and make it easier for people to implement meaningful changes. Supported by personalized, AI-powered coaching, these formalized prescriptions are increasingly recognized as effective tools to combat the growing burden of NCDs.
Lastly, we’re seeing the early stages of integration of wearable technology data into electronic health records to facilitate personalized, data driven health care. Wearable devices have revolutionized how individuals monitor and optimize their lifestyle behaviors by providing real-time tracking of metrics such as exercise, sleep, and stress. The true potential of wearable technology lies in its integration into health systems to create a holistic, 360-degree view of the patient that combines clinical data with external data from wearables. In the future, I think we’ll see data from wearables, combined with data from the health system, being used more broadly in the clinical setting.
The Pulse: What advice do you have for those looking to work in, and improve on, preventive and holistic healthcare?
MM: To truly excel in the wellness and preventative health space, I believe there are three critical elements to focus on.
First, be deeply passionate about the work and stay close to the science—its practice, evolution, and the evidence base that underpins it. The field is dynamic, and keeping pace with advancements ensures that interventions remain relevant, impactful, and grounded in credible data. In a space vulnerable to misinformation, this commitment to evidence-based practices is what establishes credibility and trust.
Second, develop a thorough understanding of the determinants of health—social, economic, environmental, and behavioral—and how these factors influence health and well-being. People don’t exist in a vacuum, and addressing health challenges effectively requires acknowledging and addressing these broader influences. This perspective is essential for designing holistic interventions that tackle the root causes of health issues rather than just their symptoms.
Finally, appreciate the importance of health economics in advancing preventative care. Preventive health interventions often yield significant returns on investment, benefiting both individuals and society. By understanding the economic case for these interventions, you’ll be better equipped to advocate for increased funding and support for preventative health services.
Interviewed by Lindsey Mattila, January 10, 2025.