ABS International Projects
Details on how ABS is actively working with global partners on projects.
Overview
ABS is committed to fostering international collaboration for advancing standards in breast care and breast surgery globally.
Our international projects focus on strengthening local breast services through collaboration, education and professional development.
Projects are developed in partnership with local healthcare teams and organisations, with an emphasis on sustainability, shared ownership and long‑term impact.
Activities may include:
- Support for multidisciplinary breast teams
- Education and training for surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals
- Short‑term fellowships and observerships
- Teaching, mentoring and curriculum development
- Support for service development and quality improvement
Projects are typically shaped by local needs and priorities, ensuring that interventions are culturally appropriate and aligned with existing health systems.
ABS members from across the breast multidisciplinary team are encouraged to get involved, whether through teaching, mentoring, hosting fellows, or supporting project development.
If you are interested in participating in current projects or exploring potential collaborations, please contact the ABS office for further information.
Current Projects
Details of active ABS international collaborative projects are listed below.
The Global Breast Cancer Training Package
The Global Breast Cancer Training Package is a collaborative initiative led by Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET) in partnership with the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS), Blended Learning UK (BLUK), Uganda Cancer Institute, and Cancer Diseases Hospital Lusaka, with funding from Sanofi.
The project focuses on addressing the disparities in breast cancer care and is being piloted in Zambia and Uganda, where women often face late diagnoses and limited access to timely treatment. By decentralising breast cancer care, the project aims to empower healthcare workers at the primary and community levels with the skills and knowledge needed to improve early detection, diagnosis, and management of breast cancer.
The Matabeleland South project in partnership with UBH
The Matabeleland South Breast Cancer Project is a partnership between ABS, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Established to address poor breast cancer outcomes in Zimbabwe, the project focuses on strengthening breast cancer services through education, service development, diagnostics, data systems and workforce development.
ABS-United Bulawyo Hospitals Partnership
The project is built on a partnership between ABS, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care Zimbabwe and addresses the very poor breast cancer outcomes in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo province.
The project promotes early breast cancer diagnosis and facilitates treatment pathways, primarily through surgical training, building capacity at the primary health worker level and increasing breast cancer awareness in the community.
The Ambuja Foundation project
ABS has collaborated with the Ambuja Foundation in a rural Breast Cancer Awareness program since 2023. Stakeholders included the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Bathinda, the Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI), Tata Cancer Care and the Punjab Medical Council.
The first awareness program was held in Chandrapur, Maharashtra in 2023, followed by Bathinda, Punjab in 2025. A third event is planned for Ambujanagar, Gujarat in February 2026.
Past Projects
Over the years, the ABS has been involved in a number of international projects. Find out more below.
A number of ABS members are undertaking teaching, training and other projects in low and middle income countries. You can read a number of reports about their experiences here:
Development of Breast Cancer Services in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt)
Read a report by Jane Macaskill (Breast Surgeon in Dundee) about her work with the charity, Medical Aid for Palestine, here
Setting up a triple assessment clinic in Malawi
Read a report by Briony Ackroyd-Parkin about developing a quality breast service in Malawi here
Breast Health Education in Nigeria
Read a report by Georgette Oni (Plastic Surgeon in Nottingham) about running a breast health awareness day and flap transfer and microsurgery course in Nigeria here
UK AIIMS Cadaveric Breast Reconstruction Course, India
Read a report by Sankaran Narayanan (Breast Surgeon in Stoke) about the 2019 course in New Delhi here
The British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery & Training (BFIRST)
The British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery & Training (BFIRST) and their partner Professor Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, Department of Surgery ABU Zaria, Nigeria, obtained a THET grant to enhance and develop the MDT in breast cancer services in Ghana and Nigeria. The ABS supported them in the delivery of this project.
