Sustainable solutions to APAC’s healthcare challenge

“Gaps in coverage affect disproportionately the most vulnerable,” noted the International Labour Organization (ILO) in March 2022, jeopardizing “[the] inclusiveness of social health protection systems.” The ILO urged APAC governments to make sustainable healthcare a core part of their COVID-19 recovery plans.

One of the primary ways this can be done is through public-private partnerships, where governments leverage the expertise, extensive networks, and agility of private industry to achieve outcomes with positive effects at the national level—supporting the most vulnerable.

As company Chairman Dr Christoph Franz notes: “Roche is lucky to have very strong and impactful partners. We put access at the centre of our business, and consider it a key part of our commitment to patients and to society at large.”

Pathways to success

Throughout the APAC region, there are huge disparities in access to healthcare, for a variety of reasons. One of these is clearly financial, with some countries able to spend far greater amounts than their lower-income neighbours. The OECD’s latest Asia-Pacific ‘Health at a Glance’ report recently revealed that healthcare spending per person ranges from less than US$250 per year in low-income APAC countries, to more than US$3,700 in their wealthier neighbours.

This disparity has widened in recent years, the report states, with middle- and high-income APAC countries increasing their outlay as a percentage of GDP by twice as much as low-income countries. Given that more than half the world’s population lives in low or middle-income countries (LMICs), it is clear why much of the focus from private enterprise should be in these regions.

But government spending is only one way of measuring access to healthcare, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this issue. As Roche’s Dr Franz recently stated: “impactful collaboration between the public and private sectors first of all needs mutual trust [...] It is all about finding a common ground by negotiating and supporting a true partnership.”

To ensure sustainable solutions to the healthcare challenges of today, he continued, we must foster “open dialogue between the public sector, private sector and various stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum, and ultimately patients, to bring our innovations to those who need it most.”

Technology – a piece of the puzzle

Public interest in healthcare across the APAC region has risen dramatically in response to the pandemic. Global consultancy Bain found that, in India, downloads of health and fitness apps increased by 157 per cent during the first half of 2020. Almost half of Indian consumers surveyed were concerned about ways to improve their health outcomes.

Across the region, some national governments are struggling to maintain healthcare access, while individuals take charge of their own healthcare journeys. Set against this, advances in technology, in which APAC countries have been notable pioneers, are transforming the sectoral landscape, helping to deliver higher quality healthcare to larger populations at lower cost and much improved efficiency.

Both consumers and healthcare providers within APAC have embraced telemedicine, based on convenience and cost alongside security and protection from infection. Telehealth usage from 2019 to 2021 doubled throughout APAC, according to Bain’s healthcare survey, while McKinsey estimates that the Asian digital health market will be worth US$100 billion by 2025, up from US$37 billion in 2020.

As Roche Chairman Dr Christoph Franz points out: “The pandemic has shown that telemedicine is a key tool for people around the world to take care of their health and stay in contact with healthcare professionals.”

This is why Roche is using digital solutions such as navify®, to help with virtual diagnosis and to train pathologists virtually. This is particularly valuable in regions with limited pathology services, such as Africa. The company is also developing new tools to support patients in taking a more active role in their disease management.

Cervical cancer – a brighter future

One example of how APAC’s healthcare challenges can be met is through HPV screening to support early diagnosis and intervention, to prevent cervical cancer. As part of the World Health Organization’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, Roche has added HPV screening to its Global Access Program, along with new digital solutions to increase access and remove obstacles to care.

“Thanks to this holistic approach, it seems that this once unattainable goal of eliminating cervical cancer may be within reach,” said Dr Alexandra Valsamakis, head of clinical development and medical affairs at Roche Diagnostics Solutions.

In Singapore, cervical cancer is the tenth most common female cancer, affecting more than 200 women each year. “Cervical cancer is a highly preventable cancer, because it can be detected in the pre-cancerous stages through screening tests,” states Singaporean healthcare provider SingHealth.

Speaking on Roche’s Life Talks panel, Indian public health expert and patient advocate Dr Ratna Devi says that such preventive action is crucial to address Asia Pacific’s urgent healthcare crisis. “Prevention should include access to diagnostics, authentic and validated information about the natural history of the disease and prevention strategies,” she argues.

Advocacy and accelerated access

In Vietnam, Roche’s We Care for Her program tackles the challenges associated with breast cancer through a campaign combining awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, harnessing government support alongside the Bright Future Fund. The program established Vietnam’s first breast cancer advocacy group, reaching more than 45,000 women and training more than 600 healthcare professionals in breast cancer management.

On a global scale, Roche has taken a leading role in its partnership with City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), which since 2017 has aimed “to support cities across the globe in their efforts to improve equitable access to quality cancer care.”

C/Can is currently active in cities in eleven countries around the world: from Rwanda to Paraguay. It aims to address the complex array of issues that can hinder access to quality cancer diagnosis, treatment and care. In Cali, Colombia, Roche is working with local key stakeholders to enhance the comprehensive management of breast cancer. The first national pilot for cervical cancer screening aiming to include 4,000 women started in 2021.

When governments, private enterprise, and individuals come together, significant and sustainable change can be made.

Next steps for APAC

For Lance Little, managing director at Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific, this sort of transformation can be achieved through partnering with APAC national governments. “[The healthcare system] should be inclusive and accessible to all patients, including the poor, rural communities and those at risk,” he says. “In advocating for sustainable healthcare, we are collectively strengthening the foundation of socioeconomic growth and development, while ensuring that no patient gets left behind.”

While the pandemic has thrown up enormous challenges in Asia, as elsewhere, this spirit of collaboration and a willingness to harness technology and innovation to promote wider healthcare access bodes well for the future.

Ensuring healthcare is viewed as investment not a cost. Find out more here.