International Pathology Day: Improving Global Health, One Patient at a Time

It may seem like one small effort cannot change the world, yet one individual’s effort can improve a small corner of it. That is how Lisa Stephens, MBA, HTL(ASCP)^CM, of the Cleveland Clinic, sums up why she supports ASCP’s outreach to support laboratory medicine in other countries.

On Wednesday, November 11, as we celebrate International Pathology Day, we encourage everyone to take a moment to honor the healthcare professionals--especially pathologists and medical laboratory professionals--who have worked tirelessly these past 10 months and put themselves in harm’s way to save the lives of patients with COVID 19. Launched in 2014, International Pathology Day is an important platform where the contribution and achievements of pathology and laboratory medicine services that work to address global health challenges and improve the health outcomes of global communities are recognized and celebrated.

Despite the worldwide disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic has created, ASCP’s Center for Global Health (CGH) has persevered to improve access to diagnosis and care of cancer patients in Africa. This is largely thanks to the support of ASCP members, partners, and donors. This summer, the Center for Global Health received two major donations of supplies, from Avantik and Mercedes Medical, to outfit pathology laboratories in five African nations as well as Haiti, as part of ASCP’s Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Initiative.

“We have seen this pandemic cause major logistical challenges not only in procurement and shipping of COVID-19 testing supplies, but also supplies for other laboratory testing in some cases. You can imagine a scenario where a lab may need to import certain laboratory consumables and supplies, but manufacturing or flights into the country may now be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.” says Debby Basu, PhD, manager of the Center for Global Health.

“Through our equipment and supply donation program, we have received tips from ASCP members or partners who either work in labs that have supplies or equipment they no longer need or who know of labs with materials that could be donated to other labs in need,” Dr. Basu continues. “Our team then performs a series of checks and balances with both donor and recipient lab parties to evaluate the quality of the donation and make sure the donation meets the recipient lab needs. So our members really play a critical role in our outreach efforts in supporting this program.”

Avantik provided 200 cases of tissue cassettes, one of the main components of tissue processing that creates the permanent tissue block for pathology studies. In addition, Mercedes Medical donated 50 cases of frosted glass slides, the other main component of tissue processing that creates the permanent glass slides cut from tissue blocks. Both consumables have been, or will be, distributed to pathology labs in Haiti, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Tanzania.   

ASCP is appreciative of support from ASCP members and member volunteers, Eshetu Lemma Haile, MSc,MA,PhD(c),MLS(ASCP ⁱ ), Quality Care Consultant, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,  Lisa Stephens, MBA, HTL(ASCP)^CM, of the Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic, and Linda Cherepow, HT(ASCP)HTL (Founder, Global Histology Consulting, LLC) for the work they have done to both support identifying and facilitating donations.

Meanwhile, Ms. Stephens donated two Aperio CS2 whole slide imaging scanners, as well as paired computer, monitor and keyboard for each instrument. They were donated to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Mbarara, Uganda.

“Being involved in this outreach is very important for our relatively young pathology program at Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MUST)” said Stephen Asiimwe, MBChB, MS, DrPH; Program Director of the Global Health Collaborative at MUST (Mbarara University of Science and Technology), Uganda. “The program needs more staff, training and equipment. This equipment donated will go a long way in meeting the immediate needs of over 150 children in our pediatric oncology program and a higher number of adults that need quick and affordable diagnostic services in the western region of Uganda.”

This donation was also supported by logistical partners, including Bollore Logistics (who coordinated shipping for the multi-site donations), SMM Instruments (who provided servicing of the scanners and support for installation and training) and MOTIC (who provided support for deployment of telepathology services), as well as ASCP collaborators and partners like the Ministry of Health in Zambia, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

“The donated scanner is a ‘game changer’ to histopathology services in our laboratory and pathology services in Zambia, as a whole. This is the first scanner in a public hospital for histopathology services,” said Aaron Lunda Shibemba,  BSc, MBChB, MMed Anat.Path (Stellenbosch S.A.), FCPath (ECSA), National Coordinator Pathology and Laboratory Services with the Ministry of Health in Zambia and Head of Pathology and Microbiology at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.