Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Everyone wants to fund medical innovation.
New drugs, better imaging, precision oncology.
But in my 18 years of practice, I’ve learned that the innovation African women need most isn’t medical but systemic.
We already have the medical tools to save lives. We know how to detect breast cancer early, to treat it effectively, and have chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation that work.
What we don’t have is systems that deliver these tools consistently, affordably, and equitably. The innovation gap is structural.
We don’t need better chemotherapy, but systems that stock it continuously. We may not need more advanced mammography, but facilities where women can actually access screening.
We may not need new surgical techniques, but we need healthcare systems that don’t bankrupt families who need surgery. We don’t need to just invent new solutions. We also need to deliver existing solutions reliably.
The limiting factor has never been medical knowledge. It’s healthcare infrastructure.
The innovations we actually need:
- Procurement systems that prevent medication shortages.
- Insurance models that don’t destroy families financially.
- Healthcare financing that prioritizes continuous care.
- Training programs that produce enough oncologists.
- Infrastructure that brings treatment closer to where women live.
None of these require medical breakthroughs, only political will and resource allocation. And this is seen in how we build and fund healthcare systems.
What systemic innovation would save more lives than any new medical treatment?
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