Transforming women’s cancer care through integrated primary health care

Why do fragmented health systems fail women?

In many healthcare systems, cancer services operate as isolated, vertical programmes. A woman balancing family responsibilities, work and long travel distances may visit a clinic for maternal health checks, HIV care or non-communicable disease (NCD) management, but leave without ever being offered screening for breast or cervical cancer.

For many women,the time, travel costs and multiple visits required to access separate cancer services create substantial barriers to screening and timely diagnosis. 

Reaching women where they live: Judith’s story

Solving this systemic challenge requires bringing prevention, early diagnosis and care directly to the primary health care facilities women already trust and visit. The WICS model seeks to provide multiple services during the same visits, where feasible, while ensuring coordinated referral and follow-up for services requiring higher levels of care.  

Through this WHO-led approach, when a woman attends a WICS-supported facility, such as those in Bungoma and Nyandarua counties in Kenya or Agboville district in Côte d'Ivoire, she can access breast examinations, cervical cancer screening, blood pressure checks and diabetes evaluations in a single appointment. 

“During a visit to a primary care clinic in Bungoma, Kenya, I met a woman named Judith,” said Maturin Tchoumi, Area Head for Roche Africa, in the preface to the WHO AFRO WICS Advocacy Report3. “Like so many mothers across our continent, she had spent years balancing family and work, rarely finding a moment to think of her own health. When she finally sought screening through the WICS initiative, her cervical cancer was detected early, at a stage where recovery isn’t just a hope, it is a reality.”

Tchoumi added: “Judith’s story is powerful, but it shouldn’t be rare. Across the Phase I countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Zimbabwe), WICS has been truly transformative for women. More than just a programme, it is a living demonstration of how integrated, people-centred cancer services can be delivered through primary health care systems.” 

Across the pilot sites, this integrated approach is proving that when services are accessible and trusted, women use them:

• In Kenya, more than 5,581 women were screened, with 686 abnormal findings identified for further assessment and follow-up. 

• In Côte d'Ivoire, facility-based integration and community HPV self-sampling activities enabled 11,787 women to access cervical cancer screening. 

• In Zimbabwe, capacity was strengthened by certifying 46 national trainers of trainers in 2025 to sustain workforce training.

Why integrated primary health care makes economic sense

In addition to improving patient outcomes, scaling up integrated primary care offers exceptional economic value. The WHO estimates in a strategic response on NCDs that for every 1 US dollar invested in proven NCD interventions, countries can expect a return of at least 7 US dollars in economic benefits through increased productivity and reduced long-term treatment costs.4

WICS operationalises this return on investment by detecting disease early and avoiding costly late-stage interventions. Furthermore, investments made in health worker training, digital health registries (such as the DHIS2 tracker in Côte d'Ivoire) and referral logistics strengthen broader healthcare infrastructure beyond cancer care.

The progress demonstrated across the WICS pilot sites highlights a fundamental reality: transforming healthcare outcomes requires sustained collaboration across sectors. For Roche Africa, supporting WHO on the WICS initiative is an operational proof point for our Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA).

ABCA is our overarching ambition to work alongside partners across the healthcare ecosystem to lay the systemic foundations necessary to enable 80% of women in Africa to survive breast cancer at five years by 2030. Reaching this goal depends on shifting care upstream through workforce training, digital tracking tools, upgraded district diagnostics and clear referral pathways.

The systemic impact of this integrated model is gaining regional and global recognition. WICS was showcased during the 2024 and 2025 sessions of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa as an example of integrated and equity-oriented women’s health services. Additionally, at iCCPA 2026, Roche’s contribution to strengthening integrated women’s cancer services was acknowledged as part of the broader WICS partnership.5

“WICS is our promise to a healthier future: empowering communities, preventing illness, and proving early action saves lives,” said Hon. Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe.6

Reaffirming this shared commitment to sustainable health delivery across the continent, Tchoumi concluded: “Looking ahead, in partnership with the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Roche and its partners will continue to support the scale-up of this initiative. Scaling WICS is not only a health and moral imperative; it is essential to securing the long-term wellbeing and prosperity of our communities.”