How Martha’s tragic story inspired Africa’s diagnostic revolution
A tragedy that should never have happened became the catalyst for a continent-wide diagnostic revolution.
In 2015, Martha, a 45-year-old farmer from rural Kenya, arrived at Dr Joshua Kibera’s clinic with an ulcerated lump the size of a tennis ball in her breast. It was already stage 4 cancer.
Yet Martha had done everything right.
A year earlier, when the lump was small, she had sought medical help.
A biopsy was taken — which she believed was treatment — and her sample was sent 300 km away to Nairobi.
The results came back after a month.
No one called her.
No one followed up.
By the time she returned, the disease had spread beyond cure.
Martha’s needless suffering exposed a deeper problem:
not a lack of skill or compassion, but a broken system of coordination.
Her story became the turning point — the moment that inspired the creation of The Pathology Network (TPN), built to ensure that no patient is ever lost in the system again.
“Martha had sought care early, followed advice, and reached a hospital with diagnostic capacity. Yet inefficiencies and miscommunication turned a treatable condition into a palliative case. The system had failed her.” — Dr Joshua Kibera
Mission, Vision & Values
Mission
To build the world’s digital diagnostic grid that connects hospitals, laboratories, and pathologists through technology, governance, and AI to deliver equitable, trusted, and data-driven diagnostics at scale.
Vision
To create a globally connected diagnostic ecosystem that ensures every test, everywhere, leads to timely, accurate, and accountable care.
Values
Innovation
We build technology that adapts to the realities of healthcare systems worldwide with intelligent design to strengthen the foundations of diagnostic medicine.
Predictability
Every diagnosis deserves consistency, transparency, and timeliness. Predictability is our measure of success as when results are reliable, trust in medicine grows.
Collaboration
We bring together pathologists, laboratories, clinicians, and technology partners to create systems that work better together than apart.
Accessibility
We believe everyone deserves access to timely, accurate diagnosis regardless of geography, income, or infrastructure. Technology should bridge inequality, not reinforce it.
Professionalism
We build trust through competence, ethics, and clarity. Our work is grounded in rigorous standards, transparent communication, and respect for the people we serve.
The TPN Medical Governance Council (TMGC)
Safeguarding quality, ethics, and trust across the diagnostic network.
The TPN Medical Governance Council (TMGC) is the professional oversight body that ensures every aspect of The Pathology Network operates to the highest clinical and ethical standards.
Comprising experienced pathologists, clinicians, and healthcare administrators, the TMGC verifies professional credentials, reviews quality metrics, and enforces compliance across the network.
Innovation in diagnostics is matched by accountability, transparency, and continuous quality improvement.
The TMGC acts as the bridge between technology, regulation, and medical ethics guaranteeing that every diagnosis, report, and dataset generated within TPN meets internationally recognised standards of accuracy, integrity, and patient confidentiality.
Through its governance framework, the TMGC ensures that innovation in diagnostics is matched by accountability, transparency, and continuous quality improvement.
Impact
15000
+
Patients served
1
+
Cinicians connected
1
+
Healthcare facilities