Mafikeng (South Africa)/Basel, 27 July 2004

New cancer and diabetes services inaugurated on Phelophepa Healthcare Train in rural South Africa
Unique Roche-sponsored healthcare project celebrates its tenth anniversary

Today Roche officially inaugurated two new services – cancer screening and diabetes prevention – on the Phelophepa Train, a South African clinic on rails which Roche has sponsored since its inception 10 years ago. The ceremony took place in Mafikeng, one of the many towns and villages Phelophepa visits as it travels through the provinces of South Africa. The train provides rural areas with primary healthcare services, including eye, dental and general medical care and health education programmes. The new Phelophepa services were made possible by a substantial increase in Roche funding, announced in late 2003.

The dedication ceremony was attended by nearly 2,000 people, including Ms Edna Molewa, Premier of the North West Province, and Roche Chairman and CEO Franz B. Humer. In his speech at the ceremony Humer explained the reasons for Roche’s long-standing support for the Phelophepa project: ‘Improving access to medical care is an important concern for Roche. We are therefore very proud of what Phelophepa has achieved so far, and we are fully committed to continuing our support for the train. Phelophepa is an outstanding example of an innovative, highly effective and sustainable project. It is run by a team of skilled and highly dedicated people who had an idea, believed in it and made it happen. This makes it a particularly good example of Roche’s philosophy on development aid: we believe in supporting novel, practical solutions that are tailored to local conditions and needs and involve working with committed local partners.’

Lynette Coetzee , the Manager of the Phelophepa Project, added: ‘This year marks some significant anniversaries. Not only are we celebrating 10 years of democracy in South Africa, but also 10 years of Phelophepa. Over the last decade Phelophepa’s clinics and community outreach programmes have made it a Train of Miracles for more than seven million people in rural South Africa. Roche is the only external sponsor that has been on board from the start. We are proud to have Roche as a supporter. In addition to funding, it provides us with strong moral support and with expertise that helps us to play a leading role in healthcare delivery in rural communities. We are therefore very pleased to have Roche join in today’s celebration of Phelophepa’s tenth anniversary and the inauguration of its two new services.’

Phelophepa’s new services — diabetes prevention and cancer screening
The number of people with type 2 diabetes appears to be increasing significantly in rural South Africa. Fortunately, much can be done to slow or stop this trend, since diabetes can often be prevented simply by eating healthily, maintaining a good weight and getting regular physical exercise. The Phelophepa Train can now help people to prevent the onset of diabetes and recognise its symptoms. The train has also started screening for cancer – particularly breast cancer. This is important because, in the areas served by Phelophepa, many patients with lumps and bumps are unaware that they may be malignant and therefore fail to mention them when they see a doctor or nurse. The Phelophepa staff are not able to treat cancer and diabetes patients, since the train averages just one one-week visit every two years at each of the stops on its route. The Phelophepa staff do however draw on the support of local clinics, hospitals, doctors, social workers, and sometimes even traditional healers to reach out to rural communities. If cancer or diabetes is detected, the patient will be directed to the nearest hospital or clinic for further care.

About Phelophepa
Phelophepa (the name means ‘good, clean health’) is a clinic on rails that has been bringing basic medical care to remote regions of South Africa since 1994. Today the Phelophepa Healthcare Train has 16 coaches, weighs 600 tonnes and is fully equipped to provide general, dental, eye and psychiatric care. The train is under way 36 weeks a year, visiting regions with inadequate access to medical services. The staff consist of 14 employees and around 40 student interns preparing for careers in a variety of health-related fields who each do 14 days of volunteer service. So far, the Health Train has reached more than seven million people in remote regions of South Africa – among them many women and children who previously had no access to basic health care.

About Roche’s support of Phelophepa
Roche was one of the first companies to provide funding for the Phelophepa Healthcare Train, which was founded by the state railway company Transnet, and the Group is the project’s main sponsor outside South Africa today. In recognition of Roche’s ongoing commitment to Phelophepa, the coach housing the train’s health clinic was renamed the ‘Roche Health Clinic’ in 2001. In 2003 Roche substantially increased its support for Phelophepa. The additional funding was used to set up the new cancer screening and diabetes services. Part of the money was used to significantly improve the train’s healthcare programmes for school children.

About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation medicine. As a supplier of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai.


Additional information
- Phelophepa: www.phelophepa.co.za
- Sustainability at Roche: www.roche.com/home/sustainability.htm