Holistic care for women in Brazil

A key example of such a solution started ten years ago in Brazil, when Roche formed a partnership with the social startupThe partnership aims to provide access to specialised healthcare for remote and vulnerable communities, with one of its most important pillars being the improvement of cervical cancer outcomes. 

In trying to identify the root cause of the poor outcomes in cervical cancer, the initiative found the answer was not a simple one. Key to the issue was a lack of specialist physicians, with those that did exist mostly based in larger cities, often miles from the more vulnerable communities. This was made worse by a widespread taboo around gynaecological exams, as well as certain societal factors like single motherhood, poverty or domestic violence, which stopped women from seeking care. All of this combined not only meant slower testing, diagnosis and treatment for cervical cancer specifically but also impacted the general health of the women in these communities.

As understanding of these issues deepened, the project expanded beyond disease-centric approaches, into a broader initiative that would anticipate the nuanced needs of women and create health solutions that are as dynamic and diverse as the women they serve.

The Anariá Project is a holistic solution; one that not only addresses the specific medical issues of women in these areas but their overall wellbeing and safety.

We are working with SAS Brasil to innovate and improve the public healthcare system, enhancing existing processes and expertise in order to provide faster and more complete care. 

The solutions include:

• Mental health support, including professionals capable of identifying victims of domestic violence, ensuring women were treated with kindness from beginning to end and guided to the help they needed.

• More efficient processes, offering patients multiple gynaecological tests in one day - sometimes using mobile testing units - with their results returned quickly, meaning minimal disruption to their lives with less time spent travelling to appointments.

• Systems that accelerate referrals and diagnoses, ensuring the relevant imagery is captured in her medical record during an exam when a woman gets an abnormal test result.

• Educational initiatives to eliminate taboos around gynaecological exams and increase testing rates, with a special focus on reaching women who have never been tested before.

“One thing we’re particularly proud of is that these innovations are done in partnership with the existing public system, instead of creating new platforms”, explained Adriana. “This means everything can stay in the same place and the public system benefits from the learnings and information collected by the collaboration with SAS Brasil, to continue to improve patient outcomes.” 

The Anariá project has made a real and lasting impact throughout the communities it has served so far. As of 2022, almost 9,000 women had undergone cervical cancer testing as part of the programme, with more than 25,000 consultations. Almost 1,000 cases of HPV were identified, more than 400 surgeries were performed, and almost 100 cases of cancer were diagnosed.

Within these statistics lie personal stories of impact that bring the true value of the project to life. “In one of the cities where the project was ongoing, the initiatives promoted by the SAS Brazil team resulted in the head of the nursing team being tested, and ultimately diagnosed with an advanced stage of cervical cancer,” said Adriana. “The more efficient processes meant she was able to be referred for surgery and the tumour was successfully removed. This exemplifies the success and meaning of the whole project.”

In addition to all these components of the programme, Roche employees can contribute to the Anariá project further by volunteering to support with implementing the action. The initiative is now growing to provide care for other issues that significantly affect women’s lives, including breast cancer and urinary incontinence, and the partner network is expanding to generate an increasingly greater impact. 

What drives us with this partnership is the convergence of values between Roche and SAS Brasil, where quality of care and acting in cooperation with the public system are prioritised, with a hope to expand this initiative on a national scale.