For Maturin Tchoumi, Pharma International Area Head for Africa at Roche, the argument is straightforward: investing in health innovation is one of the fastest and most effective ways to unlock Africa’s human capital.

Health innovation is no longer a peripheral issue for Africa’s development agenda. It is fast becoming one of the most powerful accelerators, shaping not only survival rates but education outcomes, workplace participation, and long-term economic resilience. 

“I really believe that investing in health innovation is the fastest path to social and economic progress in Africa,” Tchoumi told IOL.

Beyond Survival: The Human Capital Dividend

The true impact of health innovation extends far beyond hospital walls. When diseases like breast cancer are detected early and treated effectively, the benefits ripple outward, into families, workplaces, and communities. 

“When a woman is diagnosed early and receives timely care, she doesn’t just survive,” Tchoumi explained to IOL. “She can continue supporting her family, contributing at work, and participating fully in society.”

The stakes are high, nearly 90% of breast cancer-related productivity losses in Africa fall on women of working age, the women who form the backbone of household and local economies. The loss is not only personal; it is societal. 

“The ultimate impact isn’t just better statistics,” Tchoumi said. “It’s real people thriving, communities stabilising, and Africa building the human capital it needs to drive its own future.”

Return on Investment: Saving Lives, Time, and Money

In an environment where resources are constrained, the question of return on investment is unavoidable. According to Tchoumi, high-ROI (Return on Investment) health innovations deliver value in three key areas: saving lives, saving time, and saving money.

“The data speaks for itself,” he explained. “For every R1 invested in early detection and care, up to R7 can be returned in economic value through lives saved, productivity preserved, and healthcare costs avoided.”

Over the past seven to eight years, Roche’s breast cancer therapies alone have contributed approximately R289 million to South Africa’s GDP and delivered 1389 quality-adjusted life years, demonstrating how health innovation generates both economic and human returns (based on an exchange rate of roughly R16.8–R17.0 per US dollar).

With the advancement of health-driven digital technologies in South Africa, a digital transformation across healthcare systems could unlock as much as R185 billion in efficiency gains by 2030, driven by virtual consultations, AI-powered diagnostics, and fully digitised health data systems (estimate converted from US$11 billion at current exchange rates).

“Early detection saves lives,” Tchoumi told IOL. “And health innovation means more lives are saved. This is the engine that fuels Africa’s long-term prosperity.”

The Cost of Inaction: A Measurable Economic Threat

The economic consequences of failing to address preventable diseases are already visible across Africa.

Between 2017 and 2023, a single subtype of breast cancer resulted in an estimated R175 billion ($10.3 billion) in lost productivity across seven African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco.

According to Tchoumi, 89% of these losses were experienced by women of working age.

“We also know that about 70% of the economic value in cancer care comes from catching and treating the disease early,” he said. 

Egypt’s national breast cancer programme offers a clear illustration. Since 2019, the country has saved more than US$25 million (approximately R425 million) by diagnosing cases earlier and streamlining care pathways.

“The cost of inaction isn’t theoretical,” Tchoumi told IOL. “It’s reflected in workplaces, household incomes, and national economies.”

Health as a Multiplier, Not a Trade-Off

A persistent misconception, Tchoumi says, is that health spending competes with other development priorities such as education or infrastructure.

“Health innovation shouldn’t be seen as a trade-off; it’s a multiplier,” he said.

Globally, investments in health and innovation could save 60 million lives and add an estimated $12 trillion (roughly R204 trillion) to the global economy by 2040.

In Africa, digital health tools could improve healthcare system efficiency by up to 15% by 2030, freeing billions of rands for reinvestment.

“A healthier population drives economic growth,” Tchoumi said. He continued to mention how “Roads, schools, digital infrastructure, and strong private sectors all depend on healthy people.”

Barriers to Scale and Systemic Reform

Despite the opportunity, several structural barriers remain. Tchoumi identifies three recurring challenges. 

The first is that health spending is still widely perceived as a fiscal burden rather than a driver of GDP. He calls for a clear “health economy taxonomy” demonstrating how investment in health directly boosts national productivity.

The second challenge is a fragmented data infrastructure. Without integrated health systems, policymakers are left in the dark about population needs and patient journeys, limiting their ability to plan effective care.

The third challenge Tchoumi identifies is weak digitisation. While telemedicine, paperless systems, and virtual consultations offer major efficiency gains, many health systems are not yet equipped to support them.

“These gaps slow scale, complicate collaboration, and ultimately hold back progress,” Tchoumi told IOL.

Equity at the Centre of Innovation

Equitable access, Tchoumi emphasises, must be the foundation of every public-private partnership. 

“Every partnership is designed to reach people who are often left behind—those living far from major hospitals or lacking access to specialists,” he explained.

Kenya’s EMPOWER platform demonstrates how this approach works in practice. By digitising the full breast and cervical cancer care pathway, the platform ensures consistent quality of care nationwide.

Over the past year, EMPOWER expanded to 56 digital clinics, enabling more than 200,000 additional women to access care closer to home.

“This means patients can receive care regardless of where they live,” Tchoumi told. “Digital health has been a significant change in making healthcare truly inclusive.”

A Strategic Imperative

As Africa faces rising rates of non-communicable diseases alongside ongoing development pressures, Tchoumi says the case for health innovation is no longer debatable. 

“Investing in health is investing in Africa’s people, its potential, and its promise,” he said.

The choice, he added, is increasingly clear: invest early in innovation or pay a far higher price for inaction.

IOL.

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