Radiotherapy treatment
Over 50% of cancer patients need radiotherapy as part of their treatment, but access is low across Africa.
MedAccess provided a volume guarantee to Elekta to deliver a new, innovative pay-per-use model for radiotherapy treatment in Kenya and Tanzania.
Our
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The challenge
Public health
Cancer is becoming a major health issue in Africa. In 2022, there were 1.15 million new cancer cases and over 750,000 people died from the disease. Experts predict that by 2045, the number of new cancer cases will more than double to over 2.4 million.
One of the biggest challenges is that over 70% of cancer cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, making treatment less effective and increasing the need for radiotherapy.
However, in 2020, only 32 out of 54 African countries had access to radiotherapy technology, even though 50% of cancer patients need it as part of their treatment.
Market situation
The International Atomic Energy Agency suggests that there should be one radiotherapy machine for every 250,000 people. To meet this standard, Africa would need 5,600 radiotherapy machines, but it currently has far fewer at just 400.
The number of radiotherapy machines – and access to those that are installed – in Africa is very limited. Countries often get into a situation where they have paid significant up-front costs for the machines and then have significant additional maintenance costs to keep the machines running.
In countries where domestic resources for health are tight, they are unable to work with that level of unpredictability and therefore either stop using the machines, cannot use them during long periods of downtime, or don’t purchase them in the first place.
The product
Radiotherapy is effective at treating many types of cancer in most parts of the body. It uses high energy radiation beams to damage the DNA of cancer cells, causing them to stop dividing or killing them entirely. There are two main forms of radiotherapy equipment: external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) using linear accelerators (LINACs) and brachytherapy.
The two Elekta products in our partnership include:
- Elekta Infinity (LINAC): Its flexibility enables operators to treat a diverse range of patients on one multifunctional platform. Patients experience reduced treatment time due to its high performance, enabling more patients to be treated by each machine.
- Elekta Flexitron (brachytherapy): Its intuitive user interface gives operators the confidence that they are delivering treatment in the safest and most efficient way. Its logical workflow enables precision and accuracy for the best patient care.
The partnership
MedAccess has partnered with Elekta with the aim of increasing access to radiotherapy machines and services to public and public-private healthcare facilities in Kenya and Tanzania. With support from MedAccess’ volume guarantee, Elekta is able to offer an innovative pay-per-use model, to make its machines more sustainable for domestic governments.
Instead of buying the equipment outright, countries can pay an upfront fee and then make additional payments each time patients are initiated on treatment. This model reduces the initial cost of the machinery and improves procurement practices by making the process more transparent.
For each machine that Elekta successfully installs, MedAccess guarantees a minimum number of patients will receive care. If the number of patients falls short, MedAccess will cover the difference.
Impact projections
This initiative aims to make radiotherapy more accessible in Kenya and Tanzania, supporting governments to implement their national cancer strategies and increasing the number of cancer patients receiving the treatment they need.
The pay-per-use financing model is expected to encourage investment into cancer diagnosis and treatment by simplifying the payment structure, reducing up-front costs, enabling governments to adopt service and maintenance and achieve higher machine uptime.
Lives changed
Based on projected machine installations under the agreement, in the first six years after installation an estimated additional 22,400 cancer patients, who would not have received treatment otherwise, could be treated. This contributes to an estimated 1,700 more people surviving for at least five years post-treatment.
Markets shaped
By reducing the upfront capital commitment to machinery, this initiative can speed up the expansion of radiotherapy services. The pay-per-use model makes procurement practices more transparent, which makes the process more efficient and reliable. It also increases competition, which can lead to better services and innovations in the long run.
Additionally, the partnership improves supply security by simplifying the financing model, ensuring that the necessary equipment is available when needed. The partnership can function as a proof-of-concept for this model, setting new standard pricing for pay-per-patient schemes which can help make treatments more affordable on a per patient basis.
How we calculate the impact of this agreement
Lives changed
Downstream patient outcomes are estimated based on cancer incidence in Kenya and Tanzania, most recent estimates of cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries, and the estimated impact of radiotherapy treatment on 5-year survival rates post-treatment.
Money saved
Impact is estimated based on current financing models for medical equipment, funded by public procurers in Kenya and Tanzania.
Markets shaped
We work with partners, including donors, procurers and Ministries of Health, to track changes in health markets where our investments are supporting access to products. We monitor for changes to policy, procurement practices and supplier movement, all of which affect markets and contribute to the long-term sustainability of impact.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG 17
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SDG 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable DevelopmentSDG 17 targets:
SDG 3
3.3
By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
3.8
Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
3.b
Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
SDG 10
10a
Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
SDG 17
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
Key contacts
If you would like more information about this agreement, please reach out to our key contacts.
