CERBA LANCET AFRICA: At the Heart of Africa’s Healthcare Evolution

Cerba Lancet Africa (CLA) is among the most distinguished and important clinical pathology and diagnostic networks on the African continent, specialising in the delivery of high-quality medical laboratory services and diagnostics, from routine screening to highly specialised testing and preventive health services. “Our ambition is to become the leading diagnostic services provider in Africa and deliver world-class standards of pathology services to patients and medical communities across the continent,” says the industry leader.

“We are committed to empowering Africa with the best healthcare services at world-class standards to improve the quality of life of our communities.”

HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION

Transforming healthcare in Africa through supreme standards, technological innovation and a patient-centred approach, since Cerba Lancet Africa’s creation it has expanded rapidly, establishing a pan-African footprint and serving millions of patients across multiple countries.

Cerba HealthCare is a major European clinical pathology group, founded in France, that has operated for decades with extensive expertise in medical diagnostics, including participation in clinical trial testing and specialised pathology services across five continents. Lancet Laboratories, meanwhile, has one been a premier diagnostic services provider in sub-Saharan Africa with decades of experience, particularly in South Africa and East Africa.

The natural coming together of these two powerful individual entities in 2019 resulted in the Cerba Lancet Africa joint venture. Bringing together Cerba’s global diagnostic expertise and Lancet’s strong regional footprint and understanding of local healthcare ecosystems, the result is a cohesive, African-spanning network for clinical pathology and diagnostic services, numbering over 170 laboratory sites in more than a dozen countries including Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe which collectively serve more than three million patients annually.

In another huge alliance intended to drive innovations in digital health and boost healthcare across the continent, Cerba Lancet Africa has also partnered with South Africa-based service provider CMC Networks to introduce a range of solutions, including software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN), Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) and zero-trust security. Digital transformation has been a central aspect to Cerba Lancet Africas’s strategy, with previous projects having included advanced pathology digitisation, customer relationship platforms and integrated digital tools to support clinicians and patients alike.

CMC’s managed SD-WAN solution provides increased reliability, flexibility and visibility to Cerba Lancet Africa’s network of sites and laboratories and is FIPS compliant, meeting strict government, military and healthcare encryption and security requirements. Its Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) IP Premier service, meanwhile, enables Cerba Lancet Africa to utilise MAPS to most effectively manage and monitor its decentralised workforce, via strategic regional hubs throughout South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

“Our customised solutions for Cerba Lancet Africa not only revolutionise healthcare processes, but also bolster the capture, management and processing of massive amounts of data,” CMC Networks CEO Marisa Trisolino told Developing Telecoms. “This data is generated from a number of distinct sources to create advanced insights and intelligence across the network.”

This is a time of genuine opportunity health system maturity in Africa, recognised Theophile Doutriaux, group operations manager at Cerba Lancet Africa, whose young, tech-savvy population, combined with a rise in non-communicable diseases and a threat from climate change is creating a convergence in health challenges that can be unlocked by digital technologies. “There is no other solution but to embrace digital transformation,” Doutriaux stated, with it set to continue to play a critical role in improving the healthcare industry and ensuring enterprise growth.

LEADING DIAGNOSTIC CARE

Already an established, transformative force in African healthcare, Cerba Lancet Africa exemplifies how technological innovation, local engagement and strategic vision can reshape healthcare access and quality. This vision is unwavering and dynamic, and Pathologists Lancet Kenya set the tone for a further year of growth and progression with the announcement of the appointment of Ms. Mwende Musunga as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.  

Tasked with overseeing the growth strategy across the region, where Pathologists Lancet Kenya aims to increase access to quality diagnostic care by expanding its network, Musunga will lead a team of 400 + employees across East Africa, delivering quality diagnoses for patients in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda.  

“We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Ms. Musunga as the managing director who will continue to lead the company,” beamed Chair to the Board of Directors Mr. Stéphane Carré. “She has demonstrated that she has the necessary expertise and fortitude to take Pathologists Lancet Kenya through transformation and into our next growth phase.

“Under her leadership, we will be able to widen our network, catering to more patients and partnering with more hospitals, increasing access to quality and affordable tests, and consequently improving the healthcare of the communities we serve.” Already a leading diagnostic laboratory in East Africa, Pathologists Lancet Kenya is harnessing a strengthened leadership team, with deep market knowledge and expertise, to drive uptake of its services across the region.  

“I look forward to the journey that lays ahead,” Musungu revealed. “Pathologists Lancet Kenya is a leading brand that has the widest network of pathologists in East Africa, offering quality and affordable diagnoses. My goal is to ensure that we maintain and grow our positive brand offering as we drive innovation and changes within our organisation, to reach more people across East Africa.

“I am honoured to work with leading pathologists, with whom we will contribute to the strengthening of our healthcare systems.”