Africa provides diverse clinical trials participant data and can be the future engine for oncology R&D – Bob Li

The International Movement has expanded to Africa. Thanks to Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa in Marrakech Morocco, multi-stakeholder public-private sector leaders have converged in a shared common purpose to expand access to cancer medicines and clinical trials in the African continent. There are over one million new cancer diagnoses and over 700,000 cancer deaths annually in Africa. There is an urgent medical need, and also a huge business opportunity as the pharmaceutical market in Africa is projected to grow at 6% per annum through 2025. Advancing global health equity is not only the right thing to do, but also a business strategy.

By leveraging hub-and-spoke international collaboration and leapfrog technologies such as liquid biopsy (a blood test), our International Cancer Coalition will work together across the global ecosystem to advance innovation for the people of Africa who will in turn help accelerate the cure4cancer globally. I met with amazing leaders in Africa who love their countries and have already built impressive local infrastructure in advancing cancer care. By investing further in technology infrastructure such as blood testing, Wi-Fi access, AI-assisted data entry and safe drug delivery, Africa provides diverse clinical trials participant data and can be the future engine for oncology R&D.

Not all things in life are zero-sum. Given the nature of technology advancement and collaboration synergy, saving lives abroad in Africa will lead to saving more lives back home including in under-served regions in the U.S. This is why my colleagues and I at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are passionate about the International Movement. This is a Movement that belongs to all of humanity, and all of us have an important role to play and to lead.

Source: Bob Li/Linkedin