This 60-minute webinar will highlight a CAP Foundation Global Pathology Development Grant project focused on strengthening pathology services in Uganda as the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) expands cancer care into the regional centers of Gulu and Mbarara. Participants will learn how limited pathology infrastructure, workforce shortages, and challenges in specimen collection, preservation, packaging, and transportation can affect timely and accurate cancer diagnosis. The session will explore the project’s strategy for improving diagnostic quality through targeted education, needs assessments, and capacity-building initiatives for healthcare professionals across multiple levels of the healthcare system.

Through this presentation, attendees will gain insight into the development and implementation of a comprehensive training program designed to improve specimen handling practices, reduce sample rejection rates, and enhance access to quality pathology services. The webinar will also discuss how data-driven needs assessments, performance monitoring, and continuous feedback mechanisms can be used to strengthen laboratory systems and support sustainable improvements in cancer care delivery.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the current challenges affecting pathology service delivery and cancer diagnosis in Uganda’s regional cancer centers.
• Explain the impact of proper specimen collection, preservation, packaging, and transportation on pathology quality and diagnostic accuracy.
• Review approaches for assessing educational gaps among healthcare professionals and designing targeted training interventions.
• Identify strategies for measuring program effectiveness, including quality indicators such as reduced specimen rejection rates and improved laboratory performance.
• Discuss lessons learned in building sustainable pathology capacity to support expanding cancer care services in resource-limited settings.