Post by Roche Africa

Can a health system scale cancer screening while protecting patient privacy? The answer comes down to a single operational shift highlighted in a newly published study in the journal Cancer Medicine: HPV (Human Papillomavirus) DNA self-sampling. HPV is the virus responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. By transitioning to a model where women can collect their own screening samples in private, bypassing the need for invasive clinical exams, our collaborative work removed traditional barriers to care. The real-world insights from the integrated women's health projects across Ghana and India reveal the true impact of a decentralised, women-centric model: • Ghana (Bekwai): Working alongside the Ministry Of Health, Ghana and Jhpiego, self-sampling accounted for 80% of all samples collected, while 5,730 women were screened for breast cancer and 4,997 for cervical cancer. Crucially, 100% of women with confirmed abnormalities received diagnostic services within an average of just 21 days, and all eligible HPV-positive women who returned for assessment received thermal ablation treatment to prevent cancer development. • India (Amethi): In partnership with RMLIMS and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, self-sampling accounted for 75% of samples collected. Through a district-level decentralised framework, 4,505 women were screened for breast cancer and 10,141 for cervical cancer. At Roche, we believe a woman’s location should never determine her chance of survival. Our role extends far beyond funding. By co-designing scalable frameworks alongside local health authorities, we aim to ensure they can be seamlessly embedded into routine, real-world clinical services. As joint first authors Dr. Mary Efua Commeh and Dr. Nuzhat Husain note in the manuscript, these women-centric models are highly feasible and provide immediate, measurable value to public health infrastructure. Step by step, we are working to transform the future of healthcare in Africa and beyond. Read the full open-access Roche and Genentech manuscript via the link in the comments below. #GlobalHealth #WomensHealth #HealthEquity #CancerPrevention #PublicPrivatePartnerships #RocheAfrica #Genentech #Jhpiego