African Cluster

Developed by AstraZeneca and implemented across Africa in collaboration with African Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) is designed to contribute to the prevention and control of hypertension and decreasing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) across Africa.  Launched in Kenya in 2014, Ethiopia in 2016, Tanzania in 2018, Ghana in 2019, Uganda in 2020 and Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Rwanda in 2021, and Nigeria and Zanzibar in 2022, the programme supports sustainable models by working with local health systems.  Each model works independently with partners in the country of implementation to address different health challenges and health environments, with the aim of providing a sustainable means of fighting hypertension in Africa.

In support of the United Nations targets to reduce the risk of premature death from NCDs[1]  along with the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) ‘Roadmap’ to reduce heart disease and stroke [2],  HHA aspires to reach 10 million people with elevated blood pressure by 2025, working together with local and global partners to support local health systems by:

·         Increasing awareness of the symptoms and risks of hypertension

·         Training providers and driving care to the lower levels of the healthcare system

·         Offering health education, screening, and reduced-cost treatment and control, as applicable.

In 2016, AstraZeneca and PEPFAR partnered to use hypertension as a stigma-free entry point to find and reach those who need HIV services by integrating hypertension services into existing HIV platforms. It expanded access to HIV/AIDS and hypertension services by offering them in an integrated manner at existing PEPFAR-supported HIV/AIDS sites.

More information on Healthy Heart Africa can be found here.

[1]R. L. Sacco et al. The Heart of 25 by 25: Achieving the Goal of Reducing Global and Regional Premature Deaths From Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke. Circulation. 2016, 11:e674-e690. Available at:  https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000395 Last accessed August 2023.

2 A. Dzudie et al. PASCAR Roadmap on Hypertension. Roadmap to achieve 25% hypertension control in Africa by 2025. Cardiovascular Journal of Africa. 2017. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5642030/pdf/cvja-28-262.pdf Last accessed August 2023.

Our award-winning AstraZeneca Young Health Programme has a unique focus on young people and primary prevention of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Working in partnership with global and local organisations, the Young Health Programme works to positively impact the health of adolescents through research, evidence generation, advocacy for change and on-the-ground programmes. The Young Health Programme was launched in Kenya in partnership with Plan International in 2016 and aims to contribute to improved health and gender equality of Nairobi’s Kibera and Mathare informal settlements.

In South Africa and Angola the Young Health Programme partnership with UNICEF aims to catalyse a global advocacy movement led by young people for the promotion of healthier lifestyles. The focus is on raising awareness of key issues, empowering young people to advocate, and taking policy action to create meaningful and lasting change.

More information about the Young Health Programme can be found here. 
 

YHP Impact Fellowship

The Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellowship provides grants to help small, innovative, youth-focused non-profits develop and deliver effective health promotion programmes, with an emphasis on under-resourced and marginalised communities in low and middle-income countries.

Young leaders, called YHP Impact Fellows, who are managing the delivery and implementation of these projects are supported through the Fellowship with access to development and networks to help them scale their impact even further.

More information on the YHP Impact Fellowship,   our African Fellows and their projects can be found here.  

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 diagnosis through to treatment and beyond. 

Launched in November 2022 at COP27 in Egypt, CCA aids countries in their fight against cancer by focusing on 4 pillars of impact: build capacity & capabilities, enhance screening & diagnostics, focus on patient empowerment, and enable access to medicines.

Taking a country-by-country approach, we are bringing together cancer experts, researchers, patient voices, health tech firms, government officials and policymakers, aiming to develop sustainable cancer care ecosystems which can withstand the burden of future pressures.

Our collaboration with Aga Khan University in Kenya, supports the installation of eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) testing, paving the way for efficient, cost-effective testing in Kenya, and drastically reducing response times.

Cancer Care Africa is also encouraging countries to share best-practice and other expertise across borders to the benefit of all. The Preceptorship programmes aim to uplift multi-disciplinary oncology medical capabilities and so far, have been delivered for lung and prostate cancer and have connected expertise from Kenya and Egypt for cross-border education, knowledge exchange and practical training.

As we strive for a healthier future, we must collaborate to transform the future of healthcare and improve the lives of people living in Africa – we must act now in Africa, for Africa.  

More information on our Cancer Care Africa programme is available here

Phakamisa v/t [phaga’mi:sa]: IsiZulu for elevate, lift, raise, uplift, upliftment.

Through partnerships with multiple healthcare stakeholders in South Africa we aim to improve the health outcomes for patients and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases on South Africa’s public healthcare system. Phakamisa specifically addresses early detection of disease, promotion of primary prevention, capability building and access to care.

In collaboration with the Lung Ambition Alliance,  the programme is continually evolving, responsive to the needs identified in public healthcare. In 2023, Phakamisa expanded from its focus on Breast and Prostate Cancer, to include all AstraZeneca focus therapeutic areas, and is exploring the potential for AI-driven diagnostics and healthcare innovation in oncology.

Phakamisa, which means ‘to uplift’ in Zulu, is delivered through a three-pillared approach:

• Training –  supporting healthcare worker capacity building across all levels of care, from Primary Care Clinics and Community Healthcare Centres to District and Tertiary Hospitals, to ensure effective diagnosis and enhanced referral systems. 
• Awareness – raising awareness to empower patients, community healthcare workers and healthcare professionals of NCDs with a focus on breast self-examination, identification, improved referral timelines that result in early diagnosis and timeous intervention and care for better treatment outcomes.
• Access – ensuring that patients are able to access clinics early with minimal pit stops within the referral pathway, providing adequate access to care before the progression of the disease.

My.Phakamisa

In 2023, AstraZeneca launched the pioneering Africa Health Innovation Hub to increase access to quality healthcare across the continent, utilising the latest science and technology. 

The Africa Health Innovation Hub is part of the global A.Catalyst Network, a connected array of over 20 hubs worldwide. This network seeks to tackle current healthcare challenges through collaborative innovation, promote affordable and equitable healthcare access, and amplify patient-centred innovation through strategic alliances within the healthcare ecosystem.  

AstraZeneca reinforces its commitment through several partnerships. Globally, AstraZeneca forms part of the WEF Edison Alliance, highlighting the role of technology and data in enhancing healthcare access, focusing on patient-centric solutions and digital inclusion as vital components for healthcare equity.

In Africa, the following new partnerships form the backbone of the Africa Innovation Hub in its initial phases:  

• In South Africa, AstraZeneca is partnering with Medsol AI to help develop Melusi Breast AI, a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi ultrasound probe.  The AI device supports  screening and detection of  lesions at risk of breast cancer in a matter of seconds and is being introduced into primary care clinics. The device offers virtual connectivity to experts, expediting early screening and diagnosis  and prompt treatment initiation. This innovative approach is set potentially truncate screening-diagnosis-to-treatment time by 50%, delivering a pivotal first point of contact for patients. 
• In Kenya, we are expanding an already successful collaboration with Tricog Health Limited. After a few years of piloting in India, the African hub aims to enhance early diagnosis and treatment of Heart Failure using Tricog’s InstaECG AI tools for rapid diagnosis, reducing mortality rates and improving quality of life. 
• Our partnership with Qure AI in South Africa and Kenya, employs AI to scrutinize X-rays to spot potential lung cancer indicators. This proactive approach, identifying high risk lung lesions with 88% accuracy, empowers early treatment and successful outcomes.
• Partnering with Futurize, A.Catalyst supports the Fuel Africa and FuturizeU initiatives.
  • Fuel Africa is the largest healthcare entrepreneurship programme on the Continent, bringing together the brightest minds across universities in Sub-Saharan Africa to address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges in healthcare.
  • FuturizeU is a new pioneering healthtech incubator programme empowering the upcoming generation of healthcare entrepreneurs with essential tools for navigating startup complexities. The program fosters groundbreaking solutions, addressing vital healthcare access and early non-communicable disease (NCD) diagnosis challenges across Africa. Leveraging cutting-edge technology like AI and machine learning (ML), FuturizeU accelerates meaningful healthcare advancements while nurturing a fertile ground for innovation.

More information about the A. Catalyst network can be found here.