Sharon Kapambwe, Technical Officer of Cancer Control at the World Health Organization, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Strengthening Laboratory and Pathology Capacity for Cervical Cancer Screening in Uzbekistan
One of the strategic actions of the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer is to achieve 70% of women screened with a high-precision test by ages 35 and 45. This requires strong laboratory capacity, quality assurance, and skilled pathology services.
From 3–14 November 2025, the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with WHO, conducted training for 80 nurses and pathologists to enhance their expertise in interpreting cytological and biopsy specimens within HPV-based screening programs.
Expert Trainers:
- Dr. Emmanuel Gonzalez (Surgical Pathologist)
- Fabiola Chaves (Cytohistotechnologist) – Clínica Bíblica, Costa Rica
- Carla Molina (Cytologist) – Chile,
All with extensive LMIC experience including the ESTAMPA study.
Training Highlights:
- Covered pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes
- Emphasized the pre-analytical phase, the most error-prone stage, including patient identification, specimen collection, fixation, transport, and quality control
- Combined theoretical sessions, practical demonstrations, and slide reviews
The training was well received by nurses and pathologists from all regions of Uzbekistan. A mentorship program is planned to sustain and expand these skills to others, ensuring progress toward the 90-70-90 targets for cervical cancer elimination.
Special thanks to the Ministry of Health, Republican Oncology and Radiology Centre, Republican Centre for Maternal and Child Health, and Institute of Pathomorphology for the excellent coordination.”
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