Seven years ago, we started working on a revolutionary new idea—that software can help streamline the diagnostic experience for patients in Africa by efficiently coordinating the workflow between pathologists, laboratories, clinicians and patients.
Our continent has one pathologist for every one million people, which is 400 times fewer pathologists than we need. This shortage was our starting point in solving the challenges of pathology and laboratory medicine in Africa.
The promise of the software? Faster, better, more accessible pathology services at an affordable cost. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before to our knowledge – there was no roadmap, no
proven business model – just a dream born out of passion to change the status quo – and to save patients like Martha, whose needless suffering inspired a change in our thinking.
Martha, a 45-year-old farmer, found me running a clinic in a rural Kenyan hospital in 2015. She had an ulcerated lump, the size of a tennis ball, in her left breast. It was clear that she had stage 4 breast cancer, however, it was how this happened that I found heartbreaking. A year earlier, she had sought medical care for what was then a small lump. It took two months to have a biopsy taken, a procedure she mistakenly believed was for tumour removal.
Her sample was sent 300 km away to Nairobi for testing. The testing laboratory released the results a month later, but did not tell her. Additionally, no one from the hospital contacted her on the next steps. So then, a year later, she decided to return to the hospital because the lump had grown, ulcerated the skin, and the resulting ulcer was not healing. She still had no idea that it was cancer.
Martha had done everything right. She sought care early, followed medical advice, and had access to a hospital equipped for diagnosis. Yet, a lack of coordination between her, her doctors, and the pathology lab turned a treatable condition into a palliative case. The system had failed her.
This tragic story shaped the purpose of The Pathology Network (TPN)— we are keen to ensure that no patient is ever lost in the system due to inefficiencies and miscommunication. Our mission is clear: to use technology to transform diagnostics across Africa.
With the launch of Spes360, our pioneering diagnostic workflow platform, we are now helping countless patients like Martha. By integrating remote pathology services with local clinicians through seamless software-based coordination, we are reducing turnaround times and improving diagnostic accuracy. We recognise and thank the pathologists, laboratories, hospitals, clinicians, investors, TPN staff, and partners who have joined us in solving this problem over the years.