In an exclusive interview with SEE News, Stefano Mazzone, the newly appointed General Manager of Roche Egypt, discusses the company’s long-term vision for Egypt, its expanding role in supporting national healthcare priorities, and how investments in innovation are contributing not only to better patient outcomes but also to economic growth and human capital development.
With Egypt accelerating major healthcare reforms and expanding national initiatives in oncology, diagnostics, and digital healthcare, Mazzone outlines Roche Egypt’s priorities, the impact of the Presidential Women’s Health Initiative, and the findings of a landmark WifOR Institute study measuring the economic value of innovative breast cancer treatment in Egypt.
1. Congratulations on your new role as General Manager of Roche Egypt. What are your primary strategic priorities for the company during this upcoming phase, especially in alignment with Egypt’s healthcare transformation?
First of all, I am deeply honored to join Egypt at such a pivotal time as the country continues to advance its healthcare priorities, with a focus on expanding access, strengthening the quality of care, and supporting a more sustainable healthcare system.
In this dynamic environment, Roche will continue building on its long-standing collaboration with Egyptian healthcare stakeholders, guided by a commitment to supporting areas where patient and societal needs are most significant.
Our priority is to continue advancing the shared vision we have with the Egyptian healthcare ecosystem by focusing on disease areas that have the highest impact on society, the economy, and the well-being of Egyptian citizens.
We closely align our strategy with Egypt’s national healthcare priorities by bringing global innovation to areas such as breast cancer, oncology, rare diseases, and chronic vision loss complications linked to diabetes, while ensuring that these innovations remain accessible and sustainable.
This strategic direction is rooted in Roche’s 40-year partnership with Egypt. Throughout these decades, Roche has worked side by side with national institutions to strengthen healthcare delivery, driven by the belief that access to innovative care is a fundamental human right.
Ultimately, we aim to address critical healthcare challenges by combining leading science, diagnostics, medicines, and digital solutions to help build a healthier future for Egyptian patients.
2. How does Roche view its role as a key partner in the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, and what have been the most rewarding outcomes so far?
Roche has been a committed partner from the very beginning of the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, led by the Ministry of Health and Population.
This collaboration supports the entire women’s healthcare ecosystem through advanced diagnostics, scientific expertise, medical training, and close cooperation with national healthcare stakeholders.
Our contribution includes strengthening pathology capabilities, improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing training for healthcare professionals, and supporting integrated patient pathways from screening and diagnosis to treatment decisions.
One of the most meaningful achievements of this partnership has been the reduction in late-stage breast cancer diagnoses from 65% to 35%, driven by earlier detection through advanced diagnostics and innovative therapies.
The initiative has also successfully expanded access to underserved and remote communities through collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Hayah Karima, and Roche.
This progress demonstrates the real impact of effective public-private partnerships in improving early detection and delivering better outcomes for Egyptian women.
3. Roche recently collaborated with the WifOR Institute on a study evaluating the economic impact of the Presidential Women’s Health Initiative. What were the key findings regarding Egypt’s GDP?
The WifOR Institute study reflects a very important principle shared by both Roche and the Egyptian healthcare system — that healthcare should be viewed as a strategic investment rather than simply a cost.
The study found that investments in innovative breast cancer treatments generated approximately $18 million in contributions to Egypt’s GDP between 2018 and 2024.
More specifically, the socioeconomic benefit of investing in innovative early breast cancer care reached nearly $4.8 million in 2025 and is projected to rise to $5.8 million in 2026 and $7.2 million by 2027.
By 2028, the total projected contribution to Egypt’s GDP is expected to reach approximately $26 million.
The findings clearly demonstrate how investing in women’s health directly strengthens economic productivity and preserves human capital, particularly among women between the ages of 20 and 59, who represent a critical segment of Egypt’s workforce.
4. How does investment in innovative oncology care translate into economic growth and human capital preservation?
Innovative oncology care has a direct and measurable economic impact because it helps patients recover faster, remain active in the workforce, and avoid long-term health complications.
The WifOR study showed that advanced healthcare solutions reduce long-term workforce detachment while enabling patients to continue contributing economically and socially.
It also reduces the burden on families. When patients receive effective treatment earlier, relatives are less likely to leave work or reduce working hours to provide care, which helps preserve both the formal and informal economy.
In the long term, shifting healthcare systems toward earlier intervention rather than late-stage disease management significantly reduces the broader economic burden on the state.
5. Beyond medicines, how is Roche contributing to Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure?
Roche has invested heavily in strengthening Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure through capacity building, advanced diagnostics, and digital transformation.
We support continuous medical education programs, international experience-exchange initiatives, and specialized oncology curricula developed in collaboration with leading international institutions such as Northwestern University.
In diagnostics, Roche has supported the modernization of nearly 25 government laboratories with advanced diagnostic technologies and digital pathology systems to help expand access to high-quality care nationwide.
We also supported a national pathology laboratory in obtaining accreditation from the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
A particularly important milestone was our 2023 collaboration with the Egyptian CDC to establish Egypt’s first integrated pathology and genetics laboratory.
In parallel, Roche continues supporting digital health infrastructure and real-world data systems to enable more efficient, data-driven healthcare delivery.
6. Beyond breast cancer, what other partnerships does Roche currently have with Egyptian healthcare entities?
Our partnership with Egypt’s healthcare ecosystem spans several national healthcare priorities.
Roche was a key partner in the “100 Million Seha” campaign, contributing to Egypt’s success in eliminating Hepatitis C and advancing early liver cancer detection.
We are also collaborating with the Health Insurance Organization to support governance in ophthalmology care and improve digital patient pathways.
In addition, Roche signed a tripartite agreement with the Egyptian Health Authority and Moorfields Eye Hospital to establish an Ophthalmology Center of Excellence in Port Said.
Through this initiative, Roche contributes global expertise, digital innovation, and advanced healthcare training programs.
7. How is Roche ensuring that innovative breast cancer therapies remain accessible and sustainable in Egypt?
Ensuring access and affordability requires strong cooperation between healthcare authorities, providers, payers, and the private sector.
At Roche, we focus on partnership-based approaches that balance patient needs, healthcare system sustainability, and continued medical innovation.
We work closely with healthcare authorities on pricing models, evidence generation, healthcare professional training, and patient pathways to help ensure that innovative treatments reach the patients who need them most in a sustainable way.
8. Is Roche planning to expand its investments or research activities in Egypt?
Our commitment to Egypt is long-term and continuously evolving.
Moving forward, we aim to deepen our contribution across scientific innovation, diagnostics, local capacity building, and medical education.
We believe the true measure of success lies in how effectively we can support earlier diagnosis, stronger local healthcare capabilities, and better patient outcomes through collaboration with Egypt’s healthcare ecosystem.
9. What message would you like to share with Egyptian patients, especially women battling breast cancer?
I am honored to join Roche Egypt during such an important phase in the country’s healthcare journey.
Coming from Italy, I deeply appreciate Egypt’s rich culture, history, and strong sense of community.
I look forward to listening, learning, and working closely with partners across the healthcare ecosystem to help advance Roche’s mission of “doing now what patients need next.”
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