Tendai Gukutikwa
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
LOCAL medical practitioner, Dr Lindelwe Ncube, has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to screen for cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV), potentially saving thousands of lives in the country.
Dr Ncube (32), developed the AI tool, called ColpoPen — designed to assist health workers in identifying cervical cancer early, even in clinics without trained specialists.
Dr Ncube said ColpoPen can help eliminate cervical cancer deaths in the country.
“Cervical cancer is a serious problem in Zimbabwe. Every year, over 3 000 women are diagnosed, and close to 2 000 die — which is about six women daily.
With this tool, we can diagnose the disease early and begin treatment before it is too late,” said Dr Ncube.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting women globally and in the region, and in Zimbabwe, its screening has been a challenge.
As of 2019, only 20 percent of women had access to cervical cancer screening services.
While the country introduced HPV DNA tests in 2023, access and reach remain limited, especially in rural areas.
ColpoPen uses AI to detect signs of cervical cancer from images captured during procedures like visual inspection with acetic acid (VIAC) and colposcopy.
“The AI is trained to read images of the cervix and spot abnormalities. So far, the tool has shown a 90 percent sensitivity rate in our studies, which is very promising,” said Dr Ncube.
He said the model was developed using images from clinical trials and the internet, including the World Health Organisation’s International Clinical Trials Registry (WHO ISCR).
Dr Ncube also said his team continues to train the AI with more images to improve its accuracy, though the has its own limitations.
“There are differences in cervix appearance between younger and older women, and between women who have had children and those who have not. We are working to train the AI with images from as many different types of cervixes as possible,” he said.
To address any errors, Dr Ncube said every diagnosis made by the AI tool will be reviewed by nurses and doctors.
If something appears unusual or unclear, the patient will be called back for a biopsy.
Dr Ncube believes ColpoPen can help close the screening gap, particularly in rural communities.
“About 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s population lives in remote areas, where it is difficult to access specialist doctors.
‘‘This AI tool can help nurses in those areas screen women and connect them with doctors through telemedicine,” he said.
Affordability was a key focus in developing the ColpoPen, he said.
“Standard colposcopy machines cost up to US$10 000, which many clinics and doctors cannot afford. Our goal is to make a cheaper, but effective version that every gynaecologist can use, even in private practices,” he said.
Dr Ncube said they are planning further studies to compare ColpoPen with standard machines and evaluate how it performs in real-world settings.
“We want to see if telemedicine combined with AI can improve health outcomes. And we are also testing if we can use AI to boost the sensitivity of pap smears and VIACs, which are still common in Zimbabwe,” he said, however, warning that healthcare workers should not solely rely on the AI tool.
“It is just a tool. We do not want nurses or doctors to become too dependent on it.
‘‘The goal is to help, not replace them,” he said, adding that collaboration with other researchers and institutions can improve and help distribute the tool widely.
He said their dream is to make screening available to every woman, regardless of where she lives or how much money she has.
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