Novartis, ASCP and ACS join forces to fight cancer in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania

Novartis International AG / Novartis, ASCP and ACS join forces to fight cancer in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Objective is to provide patients with rapid cancer diagnostics and appropriate care
  

First focus will be on Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania

Cancer is on the rise in Africa, with more than 500,000 deaths

Basel, 15 November 2017 - Novartis, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced today they will work together to devise a common approach to improve access to  cancer treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Each partner brings unique expertise in cancer diagnosis and treatment. This complements the work the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is doing to improve access to affordable, quality-approved oncology medicines in the region.

ASCP will build healthcare capacity for immuno-histochemistry (IHC) analysis in two hospital laboratories in Ethiopia and Tanzania. ACS will support training of healthcare professionals in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda to ensure quality processes in the transportation of biopsy samples and in the administration of chemotherapy. Novartis will provide funding to support the technical work. This initiative will serve as a pilot for the future roll-out of similar activities to other countries.

"Immunohistochemistry is required for oncologists to treat many cancers," said ASCP CEO Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP, SCT(ASCP)CM. "This partnership will allow us to provide high-quality, rapid, and accurate screening and diagnosis, taking in-country cancer care to the next level."

"The American Cancer Society is pleased to be a part of this initiative to make high-quality cancer treatment available to people with cancer in Ethiopia and Tanzania. We'll be addressing some of the most pressing challenges patients face in getting access to high-quality cancer treatment," said Sally Cowal, Senior Vice President for Global Cancer Control at ACS.

Cancer is on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 650,000 people in Africa develop cancer annually, and about 510,000 cancer deaths occur annually due to limited treatment. More than one third of cancer deaths in Africa are from cancers that are easily preventable and/or treatable, if detected early.