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The Part of Healthcare We Rarely Talk About

December 18, 2025
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This is a guest (RED)ITORIAL written by Cynthia Kasonde, Medical Laboratory Scientist at Churches Health Association of Zambia and an ambassador of the (RED) and Roche partnership.

Remember the first time you walked into a doctor’s office feeling unwell, unsure what was wrong, and tests were ordered to find answers? Behind every result, every decision, there are people in labs working quietly, turning tiny samples into answers that can change lives—the hidden heroes! 

Most people don’t think about laboratories unless something goes wrong. Yet almost every medical decision begins with a test result. At the 2025 Biomedical Society of Zambia Conference (BMSZ), one message came through loud and clear: if we want better healthcare, we have to start paying attention to our labs. Here are simple yet powerful takeaways that stayed with me.

  1. 1. Strong healthcare starts long before you see a doctor. Before a diagnosis is made or treatment is given, a laboratory is already at work. The conference reminded me that healthcare doesn’t start in the consultation room—it starts with a test done correctly, by trained people, using reliable systems. When labs are weak, everything that follows suffers. When labs are strong, patients get the right care more quickly, and health systems save time and money.
  2. 2. Investing in people matters just as much as investing in technology. Laboratories aren’t just machines; they are people. Skilled professionals, mentorship, and leadership make labs resilient and capable of sustaining impact. You can buy the best machines in the world, but without skilled, supported professionals, they won’t change lives.
  4. 3. Science exists for the patient: Every invention, test, and innovation must serve the people who need it most, a mother awaiting antenatal results, a child in urgent need, or patients in remote communities. Doing what the patient needs next must guide all we do. Innovation only matters if it makes healthcare easier, fairer, and more accessible for everyday people.
  6. 4. Seize the moment: The COVID-19 pandemic put diagnostics in the spotlight and showed the world what labs can do.  But the spotlight faded quickly. Did we fully seize the opportunity to give diagnostics the attention and resources they deserve? We must ensure diagnostics remain central to healthcare, accessible to every patient, and valued as the life-saving tools they truly are. Now is the time to act!

While these lessons must remain firmly in our minds, I cannot ignore that the future of diagnostics will definitely be exciting. One of the most thrilling possibilities is how artificial intelligence promises faster, more accurate results and broader access to care. Beyond technology, laboratories now have the chance to define priorities based on the real needs of patients and communities, ensuring every action and innovation truly makes a difference where it matters most.

The BMSZ 2025 conference reminded me that laboratories are far more than rooms filled with machines, they are spaces of hope, action, and change. Diagnostics are the part of healthcare we rarely talk about, yet they are more essential now than ever.