Roche Africa Summit highlights economic cost of women’s cancer crisis

The silent tax on the African continent doesn't always appear in government budget books as a line item, but its impact is devastating.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, breast and cervical cancers are not just health crises; they are economic ones. As the primary caregivers and a rapidly growing segment of the workforce, women are often described as the heart of the home. When that heart stops beating or is sidelined by illness, the entire economic pulse of a household, and a nation stutters.

This was the somber yet urgent backdrop as the Roche Africa Press Day kicked off in Nairobi last week.

The two-day summit, which brought together policymakers, health experts, and industry leaders, set out to answer one central question: What is the true economic return of health?

The 10 billion dollar productivity leak

The discussion centered on a staggering new piece of data. A study by the German economic think tank, Y4, recently looked at the economic consequences of not treating HER2-positive breast cancer over a five-year period across seven African countries.

The result?

A staggering 10.3 billion dollars loss in economic productivity.

"I truly believe in the statement that health is wealth," said Thom Renwick, General Manager for Roche Pharmaceuticals in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Renwick, a 14-year veteran of the global biotech giant, argues that the time has come for a fundamental mindset shift among African leaders.

“That mindset shift is not looking at healthcare as a cost, but looking into it as the best investment you can make in a population," Renwick explains. "Of course, we know the social benefits, a healthier population. But what’s often not talked about enough is the economic benefits. When we start to look at it as an investment, we start to make much better decisions."

From Basel to Johannesburg: Bringing it home

While the summit took place in the halls of Nairobi, the shadow of South Africa’s own healthcare transition loomed large.

Roche has maintained a presence in South Africa for over four decades, using the country as a hub for clinical trials to ensure that global breakthroughs reach local patients.

However, as South Africa moves toward the National Health Insurance (NHI), the debate over equitable access has reached a fever pitch. For Renwick, the goal isn't just to increase the number of people in the system, but to ensure that the quality of care doesn't degrade in the process.

"We are committed to equitable access," said Renwick. "But at the same time, we really do want to make sure that there’s a sustainable path to value for innovation, so that everyone gets the latest scientific breakthroughs. It would be heartbreaking to say we implement NHI, but then the standards just drop completely."

Pharma vs. Diagnostics

To understand Roche’s role, one must distinguish between the two pillars of their business: Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals.

If the healthcare system is a search-and-rescue mission, Diagnostics (the arm focused on screening and testing) acts as the detective. They are the ones who find the disease, often through complex lab tests and imaging. Pharmaceuticals, the side Thom Renwick leads, is the mechanic. They develop the specialized, biological tools (the drugs) required to fix the problem.

Renwick is the first to admit that the "mechanic" cannot work if the "detective" hasn't done their job first.

"The world of pharma has changed," he said. "We’ve previously been known for drug distribution. But there’s a real understanding now that the journey actually starts with education, better screening, and better diagnosis. We can’t start at the other end (at the drug stage), otherwise, no patient is ever going to get the treatment in time."

The Leapfrog moment: AI and Digital resilience

Despite the challenges, including the devastating effects of climate change, such as the persistent floods in KZN that have demolished physical health infrastructure, Renwick is optimistic. He believes Africa is currently in a unique position to "leapfrog" traditional Western healthcare models.

"Our time is now, not just to catch up, but to leapfrog and show the world how it should be done," Renwick asserts. He envisions a future where digitalization and AI bridge the gap created by fragmented geography.

"There’s no reason now why someone in a rural village in Limpopo can’t pick up a phone and do telemedicine with the best consultant in Johannesburg," he said. He advocates for "Patient Wallets" where individuals own their own medical data, ensuring that as they move through a fragmented system, their history moves with them.

The path forward

As Day 1 of the Africa Press Day concluded, the message was clear: Roche’s goal is to have four times more patients receiving their medicines by 2028. But that goal is tethered to a broader vision of partnership.

"We are one stakeholder in an ecosystem," Renwick concludes. "We can't be on this journey alone. Public-private partnerships are absolutely crucial. We want a healthier population because a healthier population is a more economically productive population. That means more jobs, more growth, and a healthier state of mind for the continent."