At The Pathology Network (TPN), our mission is to enable equitable access to life-saving diagnostics by building a tech-powered diagnostic workflow that connects healthcare resources across underserved regions. Spes360 – our unified, software-based coordination system that connects clinicians in hospital settings with laboratories and pathologists – enables us to do this at scale. 

Spes360 is revolutionising how gynaecologists approach cervical cancer screening and diagnosis. Here are three innovative ways this technology is changing clinical practice:

1. Access High Performance Tests such as HPV DNA Testing

High-performance tests, such as HPV DNA testing, are critical in the detection of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection, the principal aetiological agent in cervical cancer development. According to the World Health Organization, DNA-based testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) is more effective at detecting and preventing cervical cancer than screening methods that are based on cytology [1]. 

WHO states that this is because HPV DNA-based testing is less prone to errors, is objective and leaves no space for the interpretation of results [2]. Several studies have demonstrated the superior sensitivity of HPV DNA testing compared to conventional cytological methods. For example, a landmark randomised control trial involving over ten thousand women found that the sensitivity of HPV DNA testing for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or 3 was 94.6%, whereas the sensitivity of cytology in testing the same was 55.4%. The specificity was 94.1% for HPV DNA testing and 96.8% for cytology [3].

Moreover, studies of HPV DNA testing programmes have found that clinic-based and self-sampling are widely acceptable and more feasible to implement than cytological screening in low-resource settings [4].  

Despite these benefits, access to HPV DNA tests remains scarce in many parts of Africa. The World Health Organization notes that while screening and treatment programs for cervical diseases targeting the general population are available in 34 countries of the region, most African countries are largely using low-performance screening tests, such as visual inspection with acetic acid and cytology [5].

Spes360 enables gynaecologists to access and order HPV DNA tests, as well as conventional and liquid-based cytology for their patients. This streamlined digital workflow dissolves the traditional barriers that have historically impeded access to advanced diagnostic services in underserved regions.

2. Streamlined Sample Logistics and Real-Time Tracking

One of the most significant obstacles to effective cervical cancer screening programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa is the fragmentation of diagnostic pathways. Poor coordination of patient sample referrals and inadequate communication between gynaecologists, laboratories, pathologists, and healthcare facilities create substantial challenges in maintaining regular screening and diagnostic programmes. 

Even where diagnostic capacity exists, the absence of coordinating systems and logistical support means samples may remain untransported and become lost within laboratory workflows. On top of that, tests can be significantly delayed, results fail to reach clinicians promptly, and patients are subsequently lost to follow-up [6]. Existing shortages of pathologists further exacerbate delays in histology reporting and diagnostic confirmation [7].

The Pathology Network addresses these systemic challenges through the comprehensive coordination of the entire diagnostic journey. Using our Spes360 software, we manage sample logistics, ensuring that specimens reach the network of accredited partner laboratories quickly and securely. Spes360 also facilitates and tracks specimen processing at the partner laboratories, which is done according to standardised protocols and quality standards set and overseen by The Pathology Network’s Medical Governance Council and Diagnostic Stewardship departments.

Spes360 is also instrumental in securely documenting and providing the high-quality reports that pathologists in our network generate for requesting clinicians, following diagnostic interpretation of processed specimens. On top of all that, Spes360 supports collaborative diagnoses for complex cases.

For gynaecologists and health programme developers, this integrated approach means you get the operational certainty you need to maintain effective screening. With Spes360, you can track every specimen in real-time, receive continuous updates, experience guaranteed turnaround times, and ensure your patients receive timely results. 

By eliminating the uncertainty around sample status and result delivery, Spes360 enables gynaecologists to provide the continuity of care their patients deserve, significantly reducing the loss to follow-up that has long undermined cervical cancer prevention efforts in the region.

3. Guaranteed Quality Assurance and Timely Reporting

Quality control and timely result delivery represent critical determinants of screening programme success. Research conducted across Sub-Saharan Africa has consistently identified quality control challenges as significant barriers to effective cervical cancer screening uptake.

Gynaecologists and clinicians within The Pathology Network’s collaborative framework benefit from shared clinical standards and values. From participation in an external quality assurance program to offering standardised turnaround times (24 hours for HPV DNA testing, with an additional two days for international shipping and handling and 72 hours for conventional cytology tests), TPN ensures predictability in diagnostic timelines. 

This represents a substantial improvement over traditional workflows where results might be delayed indefinitely or, in some cases, never reach the requesting clinician at all.

The WHO has emphasised the necessity of comprehensive quality indicators for cervical cancer prevention programmes [8]. Spes360’s digital architecture inherently fulfils this by providing metrics focused on screening rates, treatment pathways, facility and laboratory linkages and programme service delivery. Gynaecologists, clinicians and health administrators using our platform can access comprehensive digital records that enable continuous quality improvement, systematic audits and quality assurance processes at scale.

Spes360 represents a paradigm shift in cervical cancer screening infrastructure for Sub-Saharan Africa. By addressing three fundamental challenges: access to high-performance diagnostic tests, streamlined sample logistics with real-time tracking, and guaranteed quality assurance with timely reporting, the platform is fundamentally redesigning the diagnostic ecosystem to make cervical cancer screening more reliable, accessible, and scalable.

As we expand our test offering from 9 to over 180 supported tests and scale our laboratory network across Kenya and beyond, we are positioned to reach exponentially more women with life-saving diagnostic services. Our ambition is to ensure no woman dies of preventable cervical cancer. Will you join us?

References

1. World Health Organization. (2021, September 11). WHO recommends DNA testing as a first-choice screening method for cervical cancer prevention. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/11-09-2021-who-recommends-dna-testing-as-a-first-choice-screening-method-for-cervical-cancer-prevention
2. Ibid
3. Mayrand, M.-H., Duarte-Franco, E., Rodrigues, I., Walter, S. D., Hanley, J., Ferenczy, A., Ratnam, S., Coutlée, F., Franco, E. L., & Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Trial Study Group. (2007). Human papillomavirus DNA versus Papanicolaou screening tests for cervical cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(16), 1579–1588. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa071430
4. Bansil, P., Wittet, S., Lim, J. L., Winkler, J. L., Paul, P., & Jeronimo, J. (2014). Acceptability of self-collection sampling for HPV-DNA testing in low-resource settings: A mixed methods approach. BMC Public Health, 14, Article 596. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-596
5. 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
6. Mwaka, A. D., Wabinga, H. R., & Mayanja-Kizza, H. (2013). Mind the gaps: A qualitative study of perceptions of healthcare professionals on challenges and proposed remedies for cervical cancer help-seeking in post conflict northern Uganda. BMC Family Practice, 14, 193. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-14-193
7. Ibid
8. Ibid (no.1)