Media Release
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