Visiting Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg: The path to global health equity must integrate multisectoral and mutually reinforcing ecosystems.

Last week, I had the distinct honour of visiting Astra Zeneca’s Gaithersburg, Maryland campus, in my capacity as a Global Breast Cancer Care Council Member, convened by Ms France Dubé, Director of Global Policy for Precision Medicine and Breast Cancer. This visit was more than a tour, it was a moment of strategic alignment, knowledge exchange, and renewed commitment to transforming breast cancer outcomes through innovation, access, and equity.

The Gaithersburg site is a cornerstone of AstraZeneca’s global R&D ecosystem, spanning 60 acres and housing cutting-edge work in immuno-oncology, antibody-drug conjugates, precision medicine, and translational science, all a powerful reminder that behind every molecule and every trial, there is a human story and a global imperative.

As a member of the AstraZeneca Global Breast Cancer Care Council, I am privileged to work with experts across continents, as breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with 2.3 million new cases and nearly 700,000 deaths annually, and over 70% of these deaths now occuring in low- and middle-income countries, where late diagnosis and limited access to quality care deepen inequities.

At the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we have long integrated breast health services within primary and maternal healthcare. Across Nigeria, we have embedded breast cancer awareness and clinical breast examination protocols into our Mamacare360 Antenatal and Postnatal programme, reaching tens of thousands of women annually, as health systems must be designed for women’s real-world experiences, plural, complex, and intersectional.

Our discussions in Gaithersburg reinforced the vital role of public-private partnerships, and the scaling of clinical trials in Africa, localising access to medicines, and co-developing health worker training tools. As I often say, the path to global health equity does not lie in parallel silos but in integrated, multi-sectoral and mutually reinforcing ecosystems.

My deepest gratitude to AstraZeneca, the Council, the lab technicians and tour guides, and all our allies in this cause to turn science into solidarity and data into dignity.

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Visiting Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg: The path to global health equity must integrate multisectoral and mutually reinforcing ecosystems.

Visiting Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg: The path to global health equity must integrate multisectoral and mutually reinforcing ecosystems.

Toyin Ojora Saraki

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