A new study has found that an aggressive form of breast cancer cost seven African economies more than US$10 billion in lost productivity between 2017 and 2023, prompting renewed calls for urgent investment in cancer‑care systems.
The findings, released in Nairobi, show that HER2‑positive breast cancer, which accounts for up to 20 percent of cases on the continent, caused over US$10 billion in lost productivity across seven African countries (Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia) from 2017-2023.
Nearly 90 percent of the economic losses came from women who were unable to work or who died prematurely due to late diagnosis and limited access to treatment.
The research, conducted by the WifOR Institute and unveiled by Roche, argues that improving access to innovative cancer therapies could generate significant economic returns.
According to the study, every US$1 invested in modern treatment can yield up to US$12.40 in economic value by restoring women’s productivity and extending healthy working lives.
Health leaders at the launch event said the findings underscore the need for governments to treat health investment as core economic policy.
“The evidence clearly shows that investing in women’s health is not a cost or a social expense, but a powerful economic driver that underpins productivity, resilience, equity and sustainable growth across the continent,” said Maturin Tchoumi, head of international operations at Roche Africa, a subsidiary of Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Roche.
The leaders warned that late‑stage diagnosis remained one of Africa’s biggest challenges, with around 77 percent of women diagnosed only when the disease is advanced and far more expensive to treat.
JN/APA