Cancer diagnosis moves closer to homes

MWANZA: BREAST cancer diagnosis is becoming more accessible across the nation following the establishment of 55 diagnostic hubs and expanded services at lower-level health facilities, a move that is helping reduce delays in treatment.

The initiative is already yielding positive results, with the median turnaround time from an abnormal clinical breast examination to a confirmed pathology diagnosis falling to just 15 days, well below the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 60 days.

Speaking during the Tanzania Surgical Association (TSA) Annual Scientific Conference 2026 in Mwanza yesterday, the Project Director of the Breast Cancer Project at Jhpiego Tanzania, Dr Mary Giattas, said the programme is bringing critical diagnostic services closer to communities, particularly in underserved areas.

“The project is anchored on the World Health Organisation’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative targets of 60-60-80 and focuses on reducing the symptomatic period of breast cancer from the current 12 months to less than three months,” she explained.

Dr Giattas said that the three-year governmentled project, funded by the Pfizer Foundation and implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) and Jhpiego, is operating in nine regions across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

According to her, the programme supports 141 health facilities, including regional hospitals, district hospitals and health centres, while strengthening access to diagnostic services closer to where patients live.

“We are decentralising breast cancer diagnosis to the secondary healthcare level to ensure women can access timely diagnosis and treatment without travelling long distances,” she explained.

The project focuses on strengthening early detection through clinical breast examinations, increasing breast health awareness and facilitating access to comprehensive treatment through a patient-centred approach.

Dr Giattas said substantial investments have been made in training healthcare providers and community workers.

“Since implementation began, a total of 2,357 individuals, including healthcare providers, community health workers, local leaders, religious leaders and breast cancer survivors, have been trained to support breast cancer awareness, screening and diagnosis,” she stated.

She added, “Among them are 745 healthcare providers who have been equipped with skills to perform diagnostic procedures such as Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) and Core Needle Biopsy.”

The programme has already recorded encouraging results whereby between 2025 and April 2026, more than 125,000 people received breast cancer health education, while 4,556 women underwent clinical breast examinations.

Of those screened, 3,062 were found to have abnormalities requiring further assessment.

Dr Giattas said 43 per cent of women with abnormal findings received diagnostic testing through ultrasound imaging and Core Needle Biopsy, leading to the confirmation of 331 breast cancer cases.

“One of our key achievements has been improving the speed of diagnosis. The median turnaround time from an abnormal clinical examination to a confirmed pathology diagnosis is now only 15 days, well below the World Health Organisation target of 60 days,” she noted.

She said that the project has introduced a singlevisit approach integrating breast cancer screening, breast imaging and tissue diagnosis during one visit.

“This helps minimise patient loss to follow-up and accelerates treatment decisions,” Dr Giattas said.

The decentralisation effort has also contributed to earlier detection of the disease. Programme data indicate that 41 per cent of diagnosed breast cancer cases are now being identified at Stage I or Stage II, a critical step in improving treatment outcomes and survival rates.

Dr Giattas said expanding diagnostic services to district hospitals, regional hospitals and health centres has significantly reduced delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation.

“The availability of Core Needle Biopsy and FNAC services closer to communities is transforming access to care. Women no longer have to wait for referrals to distant specialised centres before receiving a diagnosis,” she said.

Dr Giattas highlighted the importance of competency-based training, hands-on mentorship, reliable supply chains, standardised data collection systems and strong referral pathways in ensuring the programme’s success.

“Patient navigators and nurses play a critical role in ensuring women complete the diagnostic and treatment journey. Without effective followup systems, many patients can be lost along the continuum of care.

“The progress we are seeing demonstrates that early detection, timely diagnosis and patient-centred care can save lives. Our goal is to ensure every woman has access to quality breast cancer services regardless of where she lives,” explained Dr Giattas.

Mwanza Regional Commissioner Mr Said Mtanda commended Jhpiego for implementing numerous development projects in the region, particularly in the health sector, saying they have contributed significantly to improving the well-being of residents.