At The Pathology Network, our mission is to ensure equitable and life-saving diagnosis for all patients across Africa and beyond. Central to this mission, we envision a future in which every woman and cervical cancer patient has access to world-class screening and diagnosis. Over the past two years, we’ve made great strides in this journey, supporting the screening of more than 2,000 women and diagnostics through our HPV DNA and cytology services. Our ambition is to support the screening and treatment of more than 30 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa, and break down barriers in the diagnostic ecosystem that prevent optimal care. Here’s why this matters to us:

Cervical Cancer is an Ongoing Problem

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer among women globally. However, a large proportion of cases and >90% of the deaths are in low to middle-income countries.¹ In Sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women in 21 of the 48 countries.² Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 23% of global cervical cancer mortality.³ WHO projects this figure will increase to 30% if current trends persist.⁴

Cervical Cancer Screening Can Lower Cervical Cancer Risk

Regular cervical screening programs are essential for lowering the risk of acquiring and dying from cervical cancer. Studies show that a single cervical cancer screen can reduce a woman’s risk of cervical cancer for the next 5 years by 50%.⁵ In Australia, for example, regular cervical cancer screening with high-performance HPV DNA is attributed to reducing the incidence of the disease from 13.3 per 100,000 to about 7 per 100,000 between 2001 and 2008.⁶ Compared to women with no or minimal screening participation, those who undergo regular screening are 82% less likely to get cervical cancer.⁷

Uptake of Screening Services Remains a Challenge

Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa have implemented national cervical cancer screening with highly sensitive HPV DNA, conventional Pap smear and liquid-based cytology programs.

Despite public awareness campaigns and support from development partners, cervical screening uptake has remained very low⁸ in the sub-region due to several systemic challenges:

• Severe workforce shortage: Gynaecologists and pathologists remain critical yet scarce resources in the fight against cervical cancer. In the case of the latter, there are fewer than 1 pathologist per 1 million people in Africa, compared to 1 per 25,000 in the UK and US.
• Diagnostic fragmentation: Poor coordination of patient sample referrals and miscommunication between gynaecologists, laboratories, pathologists, and healthcare facilities means that hospitals have a challenge with maintaining regular screening and diagnostic programs. Even where diagnostic capacity exists, the lack of coordinating systems means samples sit untransported, or are lost in the lab, results never reach clinicians, tests get delayed, and women are lost to follow-up.
• Diagnostic inefficiencies drive up the cost of care: When diagnostic systems are inefficient, many cervical patients are diagnosed with late-stage disease, which is 3-4 times more expensive. Families have to pool funds and seek diagnosis or treatment abroad to save their relative, further increasing costs.
• Inequality: Limited health budgets and technical capacity in rural areas mean that many at-risk women travel hundreds of kilometres, pass through multiple institutions, and still fail to receive timely diagnoses.

What We’re Doing at The Pathology Network

1. Tackling Barriers Through Diagnostic Ecosystem Redesign

At The Pathology Network, we’re tackling cervical cancer head-on by developing health infrastructure, processes and systems to make cervical cancer screening and diagnosis scalable and accessible.

Through our Spes360 software and diagnostic coordination service, we’re fundamentally redesigning how the diagnostic ecosystem works for cervical cancer patients and their gynaecologists.

Spes360 coordinates the entire patient journey:

1. Streamlining Test Ordering for High-Performance Testing: We’re expanding access to high-performance HPV DNA tests and conventional cytology. Gynaecologists and clinicians can order tests online through our web app and enjoy the convenience and peace of mind that comes with fast and efficient digital workflows and real-time order tracking.
2. Streamlining Sample Logistics: The Pathology Network coordinates sample logistics, ensuring specimens reach our network of accredited laboratories quickly and securely. Clinicians receive real-time visibility and updates on sample status.
3. Quality-Assured Processing: Partner laboratories process samples according to agreed-upon standardised protocols. Our Medical Governance Council and Diagnostic Stewardship departments set and oversee these standards.
4. Timely Reporting: Gynaecologists and clinicians in our network enjoy a standard turnaround time of 24 hours for HPV-DNA (+ 2 days with international shipping and handling) and 72 hours for our conventional cytology tests.

Spes360 ecosystem maximises specialist reach by enabling one pathologist to serve multiple gynaecologists remotely. It also equalises access to cervical cancer diagnosis. All hospitals in our network have access to the same diagnostic expertise, regardless of whether they are rural or urban. Most importantly, our digital grid makes cervical cancer screening scalable. It can onboard new facilities rapidly without capital-intensive infrastructure investments. Finally, by bringing transparency to the diagnostic process, it eliminates the uncertainty that causes women to be lost to follow-up.

2.  Empowering Clinicians and Patients with Information about HPV and Cervical Cancer

As we push the boundaries of science and technology to develop life-changing diagnostics, we must also ensure patients and clinicians easily understand and take part in decisions about cervical cancer care and treatment. The Pathology Network (TPN) has engaged with various stakeholders and partners to tackle myths, stigma and the challenge of low awareness amongst patients.

In early 2024, for example, TPN, through its HPV initiative Ayana, partnered with UK-based health-tech company Liberate Pro Healthcare and their parent company Alpha MD, based in Mumbai, India, to tackle this challenge head-on. With funding from Innovate UK’s Global Innovation Network, the project brought innovative audiovisual education tools into real-world healthcare settings across Kenya. The initiative was rolled out across 10 hospitals and clinics, training over 400 women and more than 200 doctors, nurses, and frontline health workers.

Following the training, clinicians reported faster, more effective consultations and an improved ability to explain complex topics like HPV in local languages without jargon. Meanwhile, 99% of patients felt confident that they could manage their cervical cancer care. Our experience demonstrates that when education is clear, personalised, and locally relevant, it drives genuine behaviour change: clinics take action, patients engage, and healthcare evolves from a service into a shared conversation.

By equipping clinicians and patients with clear, accessible information, we enable informed decision-making and strengthen the patient-provider partnership.

3. Collaborating with Strategic Partners and the Cervical Cancer Community

At The Pathology Network, we believe that actively collaborating with world-leading institutions and putting the cervical cancer community first is the only way to ensure cervical cancer patients get access to optimal care. 

We are committed to partnering with industry leaders, research institutions, and healthcare organisations to identify and address the barriers preventing women from cervical cancer screening and optimal diagnostics. Our collaboration with KEMRI and Mount Kenya University on the Ayana project exemplifies this commitment. Together, we provided more than 60 institutions with high-performance screening tests. 

As we scale our partnerships, we are developing and implementing strategies to remove barriers for all cervical cancer patients throughout the entire diagnostic pathway.

The Way Forward

Our work over the past two years has been about building and validating diagnostic infrastructure. We’ve proven that coordinated, technology-enabled diagnostics combined with targeted health education can work in African contexts. Now, as we expand from 9 to 180+ supported tests and scale our lab network across Kenya, we’re positioned to reach exponentially more women.

Our ambition is to build a diagnostic infrastructure so reliable and accessible that no African woman dies from cervical cancer, a disease that can be prevented with proper screening. Through Spes360, we’re building the backbone that Africa’s cervical cancer prevention and diagnosis programmes need to succeed. One where informed, empowered patients and clinicians work together to save lives.

Join us in this mission. Whether you’re a gynaecologist looking to improve diagnostic access for your patients or a woman seeking convenient, dignified screening, we’re here to support you. Reach out to us at info@tpn.africa or call 0713033844 to learn how we can work together to eliminate cervical cancer.

References

1. Dzinamarira, T., Moyo, E., Dzobo, M., Mbunge, E., & Murewanhema, G. (2023). Cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: An urgent call for improving accessibility and use of preventive services. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 33(4), 592-597. https://doi.org/10.1136/ijgc-2022-003957
2. Ibid
3. World Health Organization. (2024). Status of the cervical cancer elimination initiative in WHO African region. https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2024-03/Status%20of%20the%20Cervical%20Cancer%20Elimination%20Initiative%20%20in%20WHO%20African%20Region_0.pdf
4. Ibid
5. Lönnberg, S. (2012). Age-specific effectiveness of the Finnish cervical cancer screening programme. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 21(8), 1354–1361. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-12-0162
6. Landy, R., Pesola, F., Castañón, A., & Sasieni, P. (2016). Impact of cervical screening on cervical cancer mortality: estimation using stage-specific results from a nested case-control study. British Journal of Cancer, 115(9), 1140–1146. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2016.290
7. Anaman-Torgbor, J., Angmorterh, S. K., Dordunoo, D., & Ofori, E. K. (2020). Cervical cancer screening behaviours and challenges: A sub-Saharan Africa perspective. The Pan African Medical Journal, 36, 97. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2020.36.97.19071
8. See Ibid and WHO (2024)