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Rabat – AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company, is committed to providing high-quality access to cancer treatments beyond just medicines, AstraZeneca’s Area Medical Director Viraj Rajadhyaksha said.
Speaking in an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Rajadhyaksha said that AstraZeneca’s Cancer Care Africa aims to improve the quality of care for cancer patients by enhancing screening and diagnostics and empowering patients to make informed decisions.
“Through Cancer Care Africa, we will build capability and capacity to improve the quality care which is provided to patients,” Rajadhyaksha told MWN. “We will enhance screening and diagnostics, and we aim to screen more than 1 million individuals across the whole of the continent.”
Under the program, AstraZeneca has partnered with the Lala Salma Foundation in Morocco to reach thousands of cancer patients, expand lung cancer testing, and support the diagnosis of prostate cancer through early screening and biopsies.
They are also exploring the integration of artificial intelligence screening capabilities to enhance cancer care, Rajadhyaksha noted.
AstraZeneca in Morocco
In recent years, AstraZeneca has made significant contributions to the healthcare system in Morocco. With a focus on improving cancer care and enhancing healthcare access, AstraZeneca has partnered with local organizations and launched initiatives to address the growing cancer burden in the country and across Africa.
Cancer has become a pressing health issue in Morocco, accounting for 13.4% of all deaths and resulting in approximately 50,000 new cases each year. Currently, Morocco has 137.3 new cases per 100,000 people, demonstrating an urgent need for improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention measures, according to data AstraZeneca shared with MWN.
Projections suggest that the number of new cancer cases in Africa will reach 2.1 million annually, with 1.4 million deaths by 2040. Breast and prostate cancers are among the most prevalent types in the region.
Multiple factors — including an aging population, tobacco use, and lifestyle changes — have contributed to the rise in cancer cases.
AstraZeneca has been working closely with ministries and other healthcare agencies in Morocco to address the rising threat of cancer and ensure uninterrupted access to innovative medications for patients.
One of AstraZeneca’s key partnerships in Morocco is with Accelerating Change Together for Cancer Care Africa (ACT; CCA). The global network led by AstraZeneca aims to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes and enhance the resilience of healthcare systems.
ACT;CCA focuses on strengthening healthcare systems across the continent in collaboration with local cancer care experts. The initiative supports new and existing coalitions to drive policy transformation at the national and regional levels.
Launched in December 2022 in collaboration with the Lalla Salma Foundation, the local chapter of ACT;CCA aims to reach 35,000 patients across the country. The initiative focuses on expanding lung cancer testing, supporting prostate cancer diagnosis, and introducing new AI screening capabilities.
The company is also working to introduce AI technology to optimize cancer care, according to Rajadhyaksha.
AstraZeneca is advised by a steering committee composed of “oncologists, key stakeholders, policymakers, and advocacy groups” from Morocco and the rest of the continent. The company aims to “keep cancer patients at the centre” of everything they do, Rajadhyaksha said.
In addition to its involvement in cancer care, AstraZeneca has also launched a partnership with the EuroMed University of Fes (UEMF) and the Societe Marocaine de l’Economie des Produits de Sante (SMEPS). The collaboration, known as the HTA Charaka project, focuses on enhancing Moroccan capabilities in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) tools and methods.
By improving the assessment of pharmaceutical innovation and accelerating access to necessary treatments, the partnership aims to drive positive change in the Moroccan healthcare system. The HTA Charaka project aligns with Morocco’s vision of enhancing healthcare access for all citizens and promoting evidence-based decision-making.
Noting the importance of public-private cooperation to boost access to healthcare, Rajadhyaksha stressed that “public-private partnership is the way to go ahead.”
“For us, to partner with the government is our aim,” he said. “Governments play a very important role in providing quality and access to health care and access to medicines.”
Initiatives such as the Partnership for Health System Sustainability (PHSSR) help the company to “create models by which governments understand health system sustainability, resilience,” Rajadhyaksha said.
Building resilient healthcare systems
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the necessity for resilience and sustainability in healthcare systems. The focus on acute management during the pandemic caused delays in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases, Rajadhyaksha said.
He underscored the importance of not compromising on the management of non-communicable conditions during future epidemics and the need for more sustainable healthcare systems.
Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, asthma, COPD, and different types of cancers in the Middle East and Africa region are preventable and treatable if diagnosed early, he said.
He further called for the need for increased awareness and early diagnosis, urging collaboration with the media and public-private partnerships to create awareness and improve healthcare conditions.
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