Reimagining breast cancer care through innovation and partnerships
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Across two podcast conversations, experts explore how earlier diagnosis, patient-centred approaches and collaboration can help expand access to care.
Improving breast cancer care in Africa means addressing far more than treatment alone. For many women, outcomes are shaped by whether the disease is detected early, whether care is available close to home and whether the cost of treatment is within reach. In two recent Africa Health Ventures podcast conversations, developed in collaboration with Roche South Africa, one message comes through clearly: improving outcomes requires a co-ordinated, multi-stakeholder approach that places the patient at the centre.
The impact of breast cancer extends well beyond the individual patient. Thom Renwick, General Manager for Roche Products South Africa, emphasised the wider implications for families, livelihoods and broader economic participation across African communities. “One of the consequences less reported on is the economic impact,” he noted, while addressing longstanding gaps in early detection.
For Dr Carol Benn, Chair of the Africa Breast Cancer Council, working with women, many of whom present with late-stage disease and limited treatment options, has shaped her life’s work. Reflecting on her early clinical experience, she recalls seeing patients told they would undergo mastectomies, often without any discussion of alternative approaches or involvement in decision-making. “I saw how traumatically and how badly women were treated,” she shares. Her approach has focused not only on improving clinical outcomes but also on restoring dignity and agency to the patient journey, ensuring that women are informed, heard and able to access timely and appropriate care.
“I saw how traumatically and how badly women were treated.”
The urgency of earlier diagnosis also drives the work of Dr Kathryn Malherbe, CEO of Medsol AI Solutions. Faced time and again with the consequences of late presentation, she has focused on how technology can help extend screening beyond conventional settings. By combining artificial intelligence with accessible ultrasound technology, her approach points to new ways of reaching underserved communities and supporting earlier detection.
How partnerships and creativity can open new pathways to access
Access barriers, however, do not end with diagnosis. They also include whether treatment and essential health products can reach patients reliably, wherever they live. In the second episode, Joanna Bichsel, Founder and CEO of Kasha, discusses how her platform is addressing this challenge through digital commerce. Operating across multiple African regions, Kasha works to connect patients more directly with the health products they need. Through its partnership with Roche, the platform also supports access to cancer treatments, including financing models that can help patients manage the cost of care over time.
Across both episodes, a consistent message emerges: meaningful progress depends on collaboration across sectors and geographies. Maturin Tchoumi, Area Head at Roche Africa, reinforces this perspective, highlighting the importance of scaling solutions across the continent and strengthening health systems through innovation and partnership. He points to the need for continued investment in technologies and initiatives that can expand access to cancer care and support earlier diagnosis.
This was echoed by Jörg-Michael Rupp, Head of Roche Pharma International, who emphasises: “All the parties have to come together. It’s too complex for one party to solve while staying within its own silo.”
Ultimately, a clear theme emerges: partnerships are essential to improving access to breast cancer care across Africa.