A recent study by multinational healthcare company Roche revealed that breast cancer costs seven African economies, including Nigeria, more than $10 billion loss of productivity.

The findings were contained in a statement on Wednesday following the commemoration of 2026 Roche Africa Press Day held between March 4 and 5 in Nairobi, Kenya.

At the event, health experts, policymakers and journalists from nine African countries addressed the theme “Health is Wealth,” analysing how investment in women’s health can foster both economic growth and a stronger healthcare system.

Disclosing its findings, Roche stated that the aggressive form of HER2+ breast cancer, responsible for up to 20 per cent of cases within Africa, caused over $10 billion loss of productivity across seven African countries between 2017 and 2023.

The findings said untreated breast cancer costs Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia a huge economic loss.

The study noted that 90 per cent of the loss came from women in their prime and working population.

Encouraging robust investment in the health sector, the research stated that every dollar invested in solving cancer could reproduce up to $12.40 in economic returns.

It stressed that investment in the sector would help to restore women’s productivity and guarantee longer healthy working lives.

Commenting on the research, Pharma International Area Head, Roche Africa, Maturin Tchoumi, described breast cancer as a rising threat to African societies and economies.

“Breast cancer is a rising threat to African societies and economies. The evidence clearly shows that investing in women’s health is not a cost or a social expense, but a powerful economic driver that underpins productivity, resilience, equity, and sustainable growth across the continent,” Maturin stated.

Other experts at the event called for health investment in the continent, noting that such effort should be treated as a core economic policy rather than a social expenditure.

The experts also recommended integrating women’s cancer services into primary health care for greater efficiency, home-grown pandemic preparedness efforts and African-led research as initiatives that could work to strengthen the continent’s healthcare system.