Strategies for Building Successful Global Public Health Partnerships

There is a global shortage of pathology and laboratory professionals, and this phenomenon is especially worse in developing countries.¹ Central to combating public and global health emergencies is a functional healthcare system, and at the fulcrum of that is pathology and laboratory services. According to Dr. David Madziwa of the Zimbabwe Association of Pathologists, “the issue is in the tissue.” To effectively address global healthcare challenges like the one currently experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Pathologists and laboratory science professionals are needed to develop effective testing and reporting strategies for optimal patient care. One way to address this problem is the development of effective global partnerships across healthcare systems.

However, developing such partnerships requires effective communication and strategies. There are documented instances where attempted efforts by public health professionals from developed nations have been futile in developing countries, because of conflicting priorities and ambiguous goal setting.² Many public health interventions do not usually involve pathology and laboratory professionals in their planning and execution. And in doing this, they fail to understand the critical role of the lab in any successful healthcare system.

Building successful global health partnerships through effective laboratory services begins with a clear understanding of the healthcare systems in the region of interest.³ Critical questions that need to be answered include, what kind of healthcare model thrives? Is the focus more on preventive or corrective medicine? How important are healthcare issues prioritized in terms of budgetary allocations and other resources?

The purpose of such partnerships should also be well articulated. Partnerships must be guided by a shared vision and purpose that builds trust and recognizes the value and contribution of all members.⁴ Each partner must understand and accept the importance of the agreed-upon goals. This leads to improved coordination of policies, programs, and service delivery. Shared and transparent decision-making processes are also essential as partners work towards their common purpose.

Successful partnerships depend on shared values, mutual understanding and acceptance of differences-cultural norms, knowledge and ways of thinking or doing things, between both parties.⁴ When partners respect each other’s contributions and regard each other as equals, then the likelihood for shared goals to be achieved significantly increases.

Functional laboratory services are fundamental to effective healthcare systems. Laboratory professionals can play a huge role in addressing the global burden of disease by partnering with local, national and international communities in addressing the challenges associated with ineffective and sub-standard diagnostic services.

For example, one major factor that has been a huge barrier to effectively addressing the rising scourge of cervical cancer for women in developing countries is ineffective screening programs and the dearth of trained laboratory personnel and pathologists.⁵ To address this problem, global partnerships can be established in regions with limited resources to provide personnel training in the evaluation and interpretation of cervical pap smears. Mortality from cervical carcinoma will continue to remain a huge public health crisis in these regions if the gap created by a shortage of trained laboratory personnel is not addressed. And as pathologists, we can close this gap by stepping up to the rising health challenges of the 21^st Century by becoming more visible and vocal in the global communities that we serve through effective partnerships.

References

1. Fleming K. Pathology and cancer in Africa. Ecancermedicalscience. 2019;13:945. Published 2019 Jul 25. doi:10.3332/ecancer.2019.945

2. Brooks, A., Smith, T.A., de Savigny, D. et al. Implementing new health interventions in developing countries: why do we lose a decade or more?. BMC Public Health 12, 683 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-683

3. Toth F. Classification of healthcare systems: Can we go further? Health Policy. 2016 May;120(5):535-43. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.03.011. Epub 2016 Mar 28. PMID: 27041537.

4. John, C.C., Ayodo, G., Musoke, P. Successful Global Health Research Partnerships: What Makes Them Work? Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 94(1), 2016, pp. 5–7 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0611

5. Catarino R, Petignat P, Dongui G, Vassilakos P. Cervical cancer screening in developing countries at a crossroad: Emerging technologies and policy choices. World J Clin Oncol. 2015;6(6):281-290. doi:10.5306/wjco.v6.i6.281

-Evi Abada, MD, MS is a Resident Physician in anatomic and clinical pathology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine/Detroit Medical Center in Michigan. She earned her Masters of Science in International Health Policy and Management from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, and is a global health advocate. Dr. Abada has been appointed to serve on the ASCP’s Resident’s Council and was named one of ASCP’S 40 under Forty honorees for the year 2020. You can follow her on twitter @EviAbadaMD.