May 29, 2025
This new partnership has been established to launch essential cancer care initiatives in underserved communities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Working alongside the Regional Health Bureau and Federal Ministry of Health, the partnership will support the delivery of national cancer priorities. AstraZeneca is supporting this novel initiative through its AstraZeneca Cancer Care Africa programme and A. Catalyst Network African Cluster Hub, launched in 2023.
Approximately 67% of all cancer patients in Ethiopia are diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in poor outcomes and average 5-year survival rates. New community-based approaches to enable earlier detection and referrals for treatment are needed. The overall goal is to decrease mortality and improve survival for breast and prostate cancer by equipping health centres and community Health Extension Workers (HEWs) with the Clinitouch smart healthtech platform to provide essential early education, screening and referrals to care.
The HEWs will use the offline Clinitouch app to provide screening in the communities, generating a risk score on the Clinitouch clinician portal at remote health centres, enabling clinical staff to promptly refer ‘at-risk’ community members for diagnosis and treatment. This new cancer care solution will be supported by the development of national breast cancer and prostate cancer health worker training packages and Cancer Support Champions (CSC). These will raise awareness for prostate and breast cancer in the communities, whilst ensuring people are aware of the health services available to them.
Globally breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with breast cancer causing 670,000 deaths worldwide in 2022. Prostate cancer is on the rise, with one in eight men developing it in their lifetime. There is a stark difference in cancer mortality rates in high income countries compared with low- and middle-income countries. In high income countries, 85% of women will survive breast cancer for 5 years or more post-diagnosis, compared with 25.8% in Ethiopia. Similarly, 90% of men will survive prostate cancer for 5 years or more after their diagnosis in high income countries compared with just 22% in Ethiopia.
“Addressing the burden of cancer in Africa requires bold action, strategic collaboration, and scalable innovation. Through this partnership, we are not just introducing technology – we are strengthening healthcare systems by equipping Health Extension Workers with the tools to drive earlier detection and timely referrals. This initiative is a crucial step in reshaping the cancer care pathway in Ethiopia, ensuring that more patients receive the right care at the right time. But its significance goes beyond Ethiopia; this model has the potential to be replicated across the continent, helping to close the gap in cancer care and improve survival rates in many underserved communities. At AstraZeneca, we are committed to working alongside partners to build sustainable, impact-driven solutions that transform health outcomes across Africa.”
Deepak Arora, Country President, African Cluster, AstraZeneca
“Early detection, diagnosis and treatment is so critical in breast and prostate cancer, but it remains difficult for many communities to access the essential screening they need, resulting in poor survival rates. This smart community health system solution overcomes these barriers in underserved populations. A simple screening at home with Clinitouch by a government Health Extension Worker will identify ‘at risk’ community members, connect them to health centres, and refer people for the critical early cancer care they need. At Spirit Health Foundation, we’re enabling smarter health systems that save lives in underserved communities across Sub-Saharan Africa countries, working with passionate, like-minded partners. This new collaboration with AstraZeneca and Global Health Partnerships can help transform cancer care for communities across the region.”
Rich Bryson, CEO, Spirit Health Foundation
“This partnership marks a critical step forward in addressing the significant cancer care challenges in Ethiopia. By equipping Health Extension Workers with the tools and training they need to identify and refer at-risk patients early, we are strengthening the health system’s ability to provide timely and effective cancer care. Through collaboration with AstraZeneca and Spirit Health Foundation, we are not only improving early detection and referrals for breast and prostate cancer but also ensuring that underserved communities have better access to lifesaving interventions. We are committed to working alongside Addis Ababa Health Bureau and our partners, keeping in tandem with the policy and strategic action plan of Ethiopian Ministry of health, to make quality cancer care a reality for more people across Ethiopia.”
Dr Yoseph Mamo, Ethiopia Country Director, Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET)
About the partners
AstraZeneca is supporting this novel cancer initiative through both its AstraZeneca Cancer Care Africa programme and A.Catalyst Network African Cluster Hub. Cancer Care Africa represents AstraZeneca’s commitment to co-creating a stronger and sustainable cancer care ecosystem in Africa, together with external partners, that help to close the gaps in the existing patient care pathway, from screening and diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. Launched in November 2022 at COP27 in Egypt, Cancer Care Africa aids countries in their fight against cancer by focusing on four pillars of impact: build capacity and capabilities, enhance screening and diagnostics, focus on patient empowerment, and enable access to medicines In 2023, AstraZeneca launched the pioneering African Cluster Hub to increase access to quality healthcare across the continent, utilising the latest science and technology. The African Cluster Hub is part of AstraZeneca’s A.Catalyst Network, a dynamic network of solutioners and innovative minds that work to address present and future healthcare challenges by connecting AstraZeneca with collaborators from outside traditional pharma. Together with local partners, A.Catalyst Network hubs in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America are working to transform the healthcare landscape, developing cutting edge solutions and strategies to address unique local health priorities. A.Catalyst Network aims to ignite innovation that will unlock the change required to strengthen healthcare systems and secure more equitable health, helping to improve outcomes for patients.
Spirit Health Foundation is an independent non-profit enabling underserved communities to get the essential healthcare they need, in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Spirit Health Group is a market leader, and their Clinitouch smart platform and services are used across 20 countries. The independent Spirit Health Foundation provides these as millions of pounds of in-kind funding to country partners (including unlimited Clinitouch licenses) and works with its partners to build smarter health systems that protect and save lives in underserved communities. Community health workers use Clinitouch on smartphones or tablets in people’s homes for education, screening and monitoring, generating an instant risk score so remote clinics and hospitals can take action to prevent or treat diseases early. Since launching at the end of 2023, Spirit Health Foundation is now working in South Africa, Eswatini, Kenya and Ethiopia with non-profits and government partners.
Since 1988, Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET) has been working to strengthen the local health workforce and the health systems in which they operate to build a healthier future for all. Global Health Partnership run health system and health workforce capacity development programmes with a presence in 31 countries across Africa and Asia, including Ethiopia. Working closely with Ministries of Health, they ensure all programmes are sustainable, responding to local needs and priorities. Global Health Partnerships has been working in Ethiopia since the early 1990s, working in partnership with health institutions to strengthen the health workforce including Health Extension Workers, along with the health system. They are already currently supporting the decentralisation of non-communicable disease (NCD) treatment and care to priority communities across Ethiopia.
For further information on AstraZeneca A.Catalyst Network, please contact ted.huang1@astrazeneca.com or visit our website: www.astrazeneca.com/partnering/a-catalyst-network.html
For further information on Spirit Health Foundation, please contact hello@spirithealthfoundation.org or visit our website: www.spirithealthfoundation.org
For further information on Global Health Partnerships, please contact Katharina.Brassington@thet.org or visit our website: www.thet.org
