Maturin Tchoumi, Pharma International Area Head of Roche Africa, shared on LinkedIn:
“Breast cancer in Africa does not end when October does.
Every October, social media fills with awareness banners, shared by colleagues, survivors, advocates and friends who care deeply about women’s health. I chose to use this one to step back and reflect, because as Head of Roche Africa, my daily focus is on what happens during the other 11 months of the year. Now that November is here, I want to share where that reflection has led me.
When a woman in Africa is diagnosed with breast cancer, public health discussions almost immediately center on the cost of treatment.
We are asking the wrong question. We should be asking: What is her tomorrow worth?
The reality of this disease goes far beyond a clinical diagnosis:
- To the woman herself: Enduring breast cancer is a profound emotional, physical, and social challenge that is almost impossible to quantify.
- To her family: A mother’s loss increases her children’s mortality risk by 4.09 times.
- To our economy: 89% of the region’s breast cancer burden falls on women in their peak working years.
Investing early in innovative healthcare, diagnostics and infrastructure is not an expense. It is an economic and moral strategy. We are buying back time for families, workforce productivity and national resilience.
Through the Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA), my team and I are working directly with health authorities, policy leaders, and ecosystem partners to turn this insight into infrastructure. By scaling early diagnostic pathways and sustainable financing models, our objective is aligned with the World Health Organization: ensuring 80% of women survive breast cancer at 5 years by 2030.
True systemic change requires co-creation across public and private sectors.
Read the full insight on how we are partnering across Africa to rebuild breast cancer care models.”
You can also read:
Empowering African Excellence in Breast Cancer Care – Gustave Roussy International – Egypt
