Roche and the City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can) have renewed their partnership with a multi-year strategy to improve access to cancer care in Low-and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) through locally-led health system interventions.
Roche has been a key champion and partner for the Foundation since 2018, providing both financial and in-kind support. The extended 3-year commitment of CHF 4.5 million CHF (USD 5 million) has been pledged to improve access to cancer care where essential healthcare services, diagnostics and treatments remain limited.
If we want to have sustainable impact, it has to be deeply grounded in both infrastructure and people on the ground. Through Roche’s collaboration with C/Can, we are able to combine forces to improve access to cancer care, meeting cities where they are to build knowledge, relationships and expertise. Now we want to build on this, leveraging our experience and multiplying outcomes.
said Michael Oberreiter, Head of Global Access for Roche.
C/Can works with local multi-sectoral stakeholders to build the knowledge, relationships and expertise needed to empower cities to tackle the challenges they face in cancer care, with a view to replicating solutions in other parts of the country. Roche is one of the largest healthcare companies in the world, with a core commitment to supporting access and improving patient outcomes in oncology.
The partnership with Roche extends beyond a traditional funding mechanism, providing technical guidance, strategic counsel and leveraging the company’s expertise and deep understanding of local health systems. For the past six years, this collaboration has empowered both organisations to explore innovative finance structures, enhance diagnostic capacity and implement patient navigation programmes, leadership coaching and training for healthcare professionals.
The complexity of cancer care requires cross sector commitment in order for us to drive real and meaningful change in local health systems. Through our partnership with Roche, we demonstrate how multi sectoral partnerships can transform access to care whilst championing local ownership.
said Isabel Mestres, CEO for C/Can.
The partnership is anchored in the following shared objectives:
- To empower city stakeholders to design and implement tailored cancer care solutions, driving improved access to quality care.
- To scale local innovations to strengthen national healthcare ecosystems and influence health policy.
- To share locally generated knowledge and evidence to accelerate health system strengthening and showcase our collaborative, cross-sector model.
In order to ensure continued success for the partnership, C/Can and Roche have jointly established a collaboration framework to guide the achievement of these objectives over the next three years and beyond.
Insights and learnings from the partnership can be found in the following report, which hopes to inspire further cross-sector partnerships to address global gaps in cancer care.
