Pathology takes centre stage as experts chart Kenya’s future in diagnostic medicine

A panel discussion during the 17th Annual Scientific Conference of the Kenya Association of Clinical Pathologists (KACP)./HANDOUT

The 17th Annual Scientific Conference of the Kenya Association of Clinical Pathologists (KACP) concluded this week at the PrideInn Shanzu in Mombasa, bringing together experts in laboratory medicine, hematology, and public health to examine how diagnostics continue to shape the future of clinical care in Kenya.

Held under the theme “Pathology and Laboratory Medicine: The Present and the Future,” the three-day meeting drew clinicians, scientists, and academics from across the country and abroad.

The discussions centred on strengthening diagnostic systems, advancing molecular testing, and integrating artificial intelligence in pathology workflows.

Dr Edwin Walong, a consultant forensic pathologist, said that Kenya’s health system stands at a “crossroads between tradition and transformation.”

He added, “For too long, pathology has been seen as a back-room science. Yet, it is the foundation upon which every clinical decision stands.”

In a session focused on haematology and stem-cell medicine, Dr Boniface Kairu, a bone-marrow transplant (BMT) expert and pathologist at The Nairobi West Hospital, presented data illustrating the growing feasibility of advanced cell-therapy services in Kenya.

“Diagnostics and immunology are no longer peripheral to therapy; they are central to how we approach transplantation and complex disease management,” he said.

Kenya’s first successful bone-marrow transplant was performed in 2022 by The Nairobi West Hospital, marking a quiet but significant milestone for the country’s clinical-care capacity.

The case underscored how local expertise in haematopathology, coupled with well-equipped laboratories, can enable treatments that were previously accessible only abroad.

The Mombasa conference highlighted similar achievements across institutions: the adoption of digital histopathology systems, improved turnaround times for laboratory results, and stronger collaboration between private and public-sector laboratories.

Dr Rohini Radia, a UK-trained haematologist and visiting lecturer, noted that “the real measure of progress is not the sophistication of our machines but the consistency and reliability of our results.”

Delegates also discussed the ethical and infrastructural challenges that accompany such progress, including data protection in AI-assisted pathology, the shortage of trained laboratory technologists, and the uneven distribution of diagnostic services across counties.

“The role of the pathologist is expanding beyond reporting slides,” observed Dr Kairu during a panel discussion.

“We are now part of multidisciplinary teams—from oncology boards to transplant committees—where the laboratory voice directly informs patient outcomes.”

By the conference’s close, participants agreed that Kenya’s laboratory-medicine community must continue investing in training, standardisation, and collaboration.

The consensus was that national progress in advanced care—whether in transplantation, oncology, or infectious disease—will depend on how effectively pathology integrates with clinical medicine.

As the last delegates departed Shanzu, one sentiment lingered: the laboratory, long considered an invisible pillar of healthcare, is fast becoming the visible frontier of medical innovation in Kenya.