The Matabeleland South project in partnership with UBH
Overview
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.
Background and Needs Analysis
A stakeholder workshop and subsequent needs analysis involving healthcare professionals, patients and families identified significant delays across the breast cancer pathway. Findings highlighted limited public awareness, lack of specialist training and restricted access to diagnostic services. These findings informed the project's programme of work.
Project Structure
Workstreams include:
- Workforce development
- Clinical education
- Breast ultrasound training
- Diagnostic breast clinic development
- Data collection and audit
- Fellowship and observership programmes
- Community awareness activities
- Key Activities
- Establishment of diagnostic breast clinics
- Breast ultrasound training
- Surgical masterclasses
- UK nurse and surgical fellowships
- Train-the-trainer programmes
- Database development and implementation
- MDT development and audit systems
- Outcomes and Impact
Key achievements include:
- Creation of specialist diagnostic breast clinics
- Development of local Master Trainers
- Increased breast ultrasound capability
- Establishment of prospective data collection systems
- Strengthened multidisciplinary breast services
- Sustainable local leadership development
Partners and Governance
- United Bulawayo Hospitals
- Association of Breast Surgery
- Ministry of Health and Child Care Zimbabwe
- National University of Science and Technology (NUST)
The partnership operates through a formal collaboration framework with shared governance and strategic oversight.
Timeline
2018-2019
Partnership established
Initial educational programmes delivered
2020
Needs analysis completed
2021-2024
Implementation of training and service development initiatives
2025-2026
Expansion of diagnostic clinics, digital infrastructure and fellowship programmes
Site Visits
"Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among women worldwide, yet survival outcomes vary markedly across regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, most women present with advanced disease, largely due to limited access to imaging and diagnostic services.
The Matabeleland South Project (MSP), a collaborative venture between United Bulawayo Hospitals and the International Committee of the ABS was set up to address this issue, focusing on the WHO pillars of early presentation, prompt diagnosis and completion of treatment. The 2025 Bulawayo Breast Cancer Masterclass was organised by MSP. As part of this masterclass, a multidisciplinary team comprising Dr Simon Allen, Dr Fiona Tsang-Wright, and Miss
Annabelle Tan delivered the Breast Ultrasound Workshop for Non-Radiologists on 7th and 8th August 2025 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
The two-day course aimed to:
- Equip non-radiologist clinicians with core breast
ultrasound skills. - Promote safe, protocol-based scanning and reporting.
- Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration between
surgeons, radiologists, and nurses. - Establish a sustainable framework for continued
mentoring and peer learning.
By targeting clinicians already working in women’s health, the programme sought to enhance early detection and streamline referral pathways for symptomatic patients...."
Fiona Tsang-Wright
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
