ASCP Collaborates with BVGH to Improve Cancer Diagnosis and Care in Nigeria

ASCP and Seattle-based BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) are working to chisel away at roadblocks in order to build the cancer diagnostic capacity in Northern Nigeria. Both organizations plan to coordinate and implement histology training workshops at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in late January.

Pathologists and histologists from 10 hospitals throughout the northern region—the poorest part of the country—are expected to participate. The goals are to improve the efficiency and throughput of the pathology laboratory and the technical capacity of pathology laboratory staff.

“ASCP has the expertise to conduct the educational training in the correct way, while BVGH will provide hospital data, coordination and long-term relationships with the pathologists in these hospitals,” says Analise LeJeune, Program Manager with BVGH.

The two organizations have previously collaborated to provide similar workshops in Cote d’Ivoire and Rwanda. Through its ongoing work in Nigeria, BVGH leaders noticed a significant gap in training in the areas of histology and pathology.  

“We are trying to address roadblocks that are common in this area,” Ms. LeJeune says. “These include a lack of equipment and reagents. Many hospitals send their tests out to external labs. ABUTH is a cancer center of excellence that other area hospitals rely on, and that is why we want to strengthen its training and capacity.”

ABUTH’s patient catchment area encompasses about 45 million people, including those living in neighboring countries. BVGH selected this region in which to coordinate training, in part, to dovetail coincide with the roll-out of the African Access Initiative (AAI) pilot chemotherapy drug access program.

“Essentially, BVGH is working with the ABUTH hospital leadership team to decide which drugs they want access to, then budget for it and work with stakeholders to make it sustainable,” Ms. LeJeune explains.

“We went to pharmaceutical companies with requests for proposals, and they came back with proposals for greatly discounted drugs. We are creating a shared funding model that we hope will eventually be taken on more formally by the Nigerian government, so that cancer patients finally have access to these important drugs to treat cancer.”

Read the October 2019 Update for the ASCP Center for Global Health here.