The 2nd Bulawayo Breast Cancer Masterclass was a three-day course at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, from 14 to 16 September 2026. Local nurses, doctors and the wider breast team trained with visiting faculty from the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS), the UK professional body for clinicians who care for people with breast problems, sometimes called the Association of Breast Surgeons.
Dr Fiona Tsang-Wright, Consultant Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon at Breastory and the Bucks Breast Unit, was visiting ABS faculty. The host was Dr Munyaradzi Magara, specialist breast surgeon and head of the UBH Breast Cancer Unit.
Who opened the masterclass?
The Honourable Judith Ncube, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, opened the course at the UBH School of Nursing on Monday 14 September 2026 and received audiovisual equipment so theatre sessions could be livestreamed.
“When I officially opened the inaugural Bulawayo Breast Cancer Masterclass last year, we spoke about the importance of strengthening our capacity to prevent, diagnose and treat breast cancer. I am delighted to learn that significant progress has been made since that inaugural programme.”
— Honourable Judith Ncube, The Herald, 17 September 2026
She reported more than 20 doctors and 20 nurses trained in breast-cancer diagnosis and point-of-care ultrasound — ultrasound in the consulting room or at the bedside, so a decision does not wait for a separate imaging list. UBH’s combined breast and cervical cancer early-detection clinic diagnosed 66 new breast cancers in 2025.
“This demonstrates the importance of accessible early detection services and also presents an opportunity for us to examine the UBH model more closely, with a view to determining how such an approach could potentially be strengthened and scaled up nationally.”
— Honourable Judith Ncube, The Herald
An operating theatre only holds so many observers. Minister Ncube said the camera kit meant “a much larger number can participate in the learning experience, follow the procedure in real time and seek clarification from the specialists.”
What did the three days cover?
The programme mixed lectures, workshops, live operating, and a live multidisciplinary meeting (MDM): surgery, radiology, pathology and oncology reviewing a case together before a plan is agreed, as in a UK breast unit. Faculty later named the live MDM as a new element worth repeating.
Visiting faculty included Dr Caroline Strachan, Dr Amanda Taylor, Professor Dick Rainsbury and Professor Jerome Pereira, with Dr Magara and Dr Tsang-Wright. UBH colleagues in radiology, oncology and the VIAC (cervical screening) clinic taught and selected cases. Operating ran in the Arundel Theatres, livestreamed by the hospital’s IT team.
One session was UBH’s first latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction: skin and muscle from the upper back brought across to the chest, often used when an implant alone would not give enough cover, or when an abdominal flap is not the right choice. Five patients were treated during the masterclass. Faculty wrote afterwards that this is the start of a pathway the UBH team can run themselves, not a one-off demonstration. The same operation is one of the reconstruction options discussed at Breastory.
“The masterclass will teach nurses on how to recognise symptoms and make sound decisions for early diagnosis. The ultimate goal is to ensure patients get to the right place, at the right time and with a sense of urgency.”
— Dr Munyaradzi Magara, head of the UBH Breast Cancer Unit, The Herald
Dr Magara told ZBC News the training should help cut breast-cancer deaths. Professor Rainsbury said breast cancer remains a leading cause of death among women in Southern Africa, and that the course was meant to “upscale the fight” rather than fly in for a single list.
How long has the ABS–UBH partnership run?
ABS and UBH have worked together since 2018–19. The first joint symposium was in 2019. ABS International describes the project as work with health, education and government partners in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo: equip clinics, train staff in examination and portable ultrasound, and shorten the time from a woman noticing a lump to a diagnosis she can act on. A 2025 ABS update named Dr Tsang-Wright among faculty on the prior surgical masterclass.
The Herald reports that Dr Magara and Dr Simba Mungazi trained in the UK between 2020 and 2022, and that time from first concern to diagnosis at UBH has come down from about six months to about a week — a model now being copied at hospitals in Gwanda and Beitbridge. Those figures are the hospital’s, reported in the Zimbabwe press; they are not Breastory audit data.
A draft post-basic breast-care nursing diploma from UBH’s School of Nursing has been submitted to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care for accreditation, so nurses who see women first can examine, ultrasound and refer without losing months. ZBC News separately quoted Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care, on expanding public-hospital cancer treatment. He was not the minister photographed at UBH. That was Judith Ncube. New Ziana also covered the opening.
How does this sit with Breastory?
Breastory is Dr Tsang-Wright’s practice in London and Buckinghamshire. The masterclass is her ABS teaching work with UBH colleagues. Both rest on earlier diagnosis, a multidisciplinary plan, and reconstruction discussed as part of cancer surgery rather than as an afterthought.
If you have just been diagnosed, see what happens after a diagnosis — including how an MDM works — or how reconstruction choices are framed. To arrange a consultation, use contact.
Press coverage
- UBH leads breast cancer fight — The Herald / Chronicle, 17 September 2026
- Zimbabwe strengthens breast cancer fight through specialist skills transfer — ZBC News, 15 September 2026
- Early detection, technology key in breast cancer fight — New Ziana
- Association of Breast Surgery · ABS International · 2025 partnership update
Common questions
What is the Bulawayo Breast Cancer Masterclass?
A three-day teaching course at United Bulawayo Hospitals for local breast-care teams, run with visiting faculty from the Association of Breast Surgery. The 2026 course was the second in this annual series. It included lectures, workshops, a live multidisciplinary meeting, and livestreamed operating.
Who is the Association of Breast Surgery?
The Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) is the UK professional body for surgeons, nurse specialists and the wider breast team. It has partnered with United Bulawayo Hospitals since 2018–19 on earlier diagnosis, ultrasound skills, and surgical training in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo.
Which minister attended?
The Honourable Judith Ncube, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, opened the course on 14 September 2026 and received audiovisual equipment for livestreamed teaching. ZBC separately quoted Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health and Child Care, on national cancer-equipment policy. He was not the minister photographed at UBH.
What is a latissimus dorsi flap?
It is a form of own-tissue reconstruction that moves skin and muscle from the upper back to rebuild the breast, sometimes with an implant. During this masterclass, UBH carried out its first latissimus dorsi flap as part of the taught operating list.
Was Dr Fiona Tsang-Wright there as Breastory or as ABS faculty?
As visiting ABS faculty, teaching with UBH colleagues. Breastory is her London and Buckinghamshire practice.