17/11/2025
Zambart Hands Over State-of-the-Art Bronchoscopy Equipment to Ndola Teaching Hospital
Access to Health Zambia, in partnership with Zambart, and the Ministry of Health, has taken a major step toward improving early lung cancer diagnosis in Zambia through the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Program (MLCCP). On 14th November 2025, Access to Health Zambia and Zambart officially handed over a state-of-the-art bronchoscopy machine to Ndola Teaching Hospital, marking an important milestone in decentralising lung cancer diagnostic services beyond Lusaka.
The handover is part of MLCCP’s broader goal of strengthening community and health system responses to lung cancer—particularly in Ndola and Kabwe—while generating evidence on the true burden of the disease through research.
Globally, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In Zambia, it ranks among the top ten causes of cancer mortality, although current data largely comes from international estimates due to limited local surveillance. Lung cancer symptoms, such as persistent cough, weight loss, and breathing difficulties, closely overlap with those of tuberculosis (TB), a disease Zambart has worked extensively on for over two decades. While TB testing tools are widely available across primary health facilities, lung cancer often goes undetected because diagnostic tools like bronchoscopy are scarce and centralised.
As Dr Kwame Shanaube, Executive Director of Zambart, noted during the handover ceremony, “Lung cancer often goes undetected or is diagnosed late, partly because diagnostic tools have not been readily available. This equipment will bring great relief to patients who no longer need to travel to Lusaka to access bronchoscopy services.”
The Multinational Lung Cancer Control Program—implemented in Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe with support from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation—aims to improve early detection, diagnosis, and management of lung cancer through a multi-level approach. In Zambia, the programme focuses on strengthening surveillance systems, expanding diagnostic capacity, and building the skills of health workers. Efforts include enhancing the Zambia National Cancer Registry’s ability to collect and analyse lung cancer data, conducting research studies at the Cancer Diseases Hospital, and improving diagnostic capacity by providing bronchoscopy equipment to both Ndola Teaching Hospital and Kabwe Central Hospital.
The programme is also establishing a Multidisciplinary Team linking the Cancer Diseases Hospital with the two peripheral hospitals to improve case discussions, referrals, and coordinated care. Alongside these clinical efforts, MLCCP is raising awareness of lung cancer risk factors and symptoms in communities such as Mapalo in Ndola and Makululu in Kabwe, while training healthcare providers to recognise, refer, and manage suspected cases more effectively.
The bronchoscopy will significantly enhance the hospital’s ability to diagnose and manage lung cancer. Clinicians will now be able to obtain tissue samples for biopsy, investigate suspected lung cancer cases, diagnose other respiratory conditions, and manage patients presenting with issues such as unexplained cough or foreign body aspiration.
Ministry of Health Zambia to Health Zambia -MYERS SQUIBB PATIENT ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC
