Roche and African health leaders have urged governments to treat cancer care and health systems as core economic priorities, warning that inaction could undermine productivity and growth across the continent.

Jacqueline Wumbua, general manager for East and West Africa at the Global Healthcare Company, Roche, made the call at the Africa Press Day 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The two-day Africa Press Day, organised by Roche and which opened on Wednesday in Nairobi, brought together journalists, health experts, policymakers and financial institutions to discuss healthcare investment and equity in Africa.

Ms Wumbua highlighted the economic importance of health, noting that untreated diseases hindered productivity and economic growth.

She called for increased investment in cancer care despite current low allocations, warning that inaction would carry costly consequences.

“Africa’s cancer burden is projected to double by 2040, yet many of our countries still invest less than five per cent of their health budgets in cancer care.

“We cannot afford to lose another generation to diseases that are preventable. Health is also an economic policy. Untreated diseases drain national productivity,” she said.

She also spoke about Roche’s Africa Breast Cancer Ambition, which aimed to raise breast cancer survival rates by 60 per cent by strengthening the entire patient journey, from early detection to long-term follow-up.

According to her, the initiative relies on partnerships with African governments, the World Health Organisation and local programmes such as the Women Integrated Cancer Care and Empower Initiative.

Ms Wumbua said that stronger diagnostics and laboratory systems were essential not only for improving cancer outcomes but also for economic resilience.

“Strong diagnostics and laboratory systems are not only about cancer; they are the backbone of preparedness for future health crises. Countries with strong laboratory systems recover faster from pandemics and protect their economies better, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

She added that geographical barriers to healthcare were also emerging as an economic risk factor, noting that many Africans still lived far from diagnosis and treatment centres.

Dorothy Nyong’o, the managing trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation and First Lady of Kisumu County, described breast cancer as a condition that posed both public health and economic threats.

She urged stronger political commitment and coordinated systems through platforms such as the Africa Breast Cancer Council.

Ouma Oluga, principal secretary at the State Department for Medical Services in Kenya’s Ministry of Health, said Africa must reposition its healthcare systems to be more responsive.

He stated that the continent was facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer, while still battling communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and cholera.

According to him, many African countries are grappling with how much to invest in healthcare.

He noted that the Abuja Declaration, which recommended allocating 15 per cent of national budgets to health, continues to pose a challenge for many governments.

He restated the need for African leaders to prioritise financing their own healthcare systems.

(NAN)