QUANTIFYING THE SOCIETAL VALUE OF A BREAST CANCER MEDICINES DONATION PROGRAM IN GHANA
Author(s)
Platon Peristeris, PhD1, Christian Fischer, MSc2, Shimona Seth, MSc2, Iakovos Papaioannou, MSc1, Yonina Fleischman, MSc3, Fatih Cakmak, MSc3, Malina Müller, BA, MA, PhD2.
1WifOR Institute, Athens, Greece, 2WifOR Institute, Darmstadt, Germany, 3Teva Pharmaceuticals, Tel Aviv, Israel.
1WifOR Institute, Athens, Greece, 2WifOR Institute, Darmstadt, Germany, 3Teva Pharmaceuticals, Tel Aviv, Israel.
OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer remains a major public health challenge in Ghana, where limited access to breast care services, trained practitioners, awareness, screening, and timely referral contributes to high mortality. This study aimed at estimating the health and socioeconomic value generated in 2025 by donated breast cancer medicines provided through the Breast Cancer International donation program in Ghana.
METHODS: A health-economic and value-chain modelling approach was applied to assess the annual impact of donated pharmaceutical products in breast cancer. Health outcomes were expressed as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), reflecting both survival and quality-of-life gains. These health gains were translated into socioeconomic value by estimating their effects on paid and unpaid labour. The model also captured wider macroeconomic effects, including indirect and induced economic impacts associated with improved productivity.
RESULTS: In 2025, treatment of 1,040 breast cancer patients generated an estimated $930,000 in total social and economic value, corresponding to estimated $894 per patient. The program generated 178 QALYs, equivalent to approximately two additional months of QALY per treated patient. Value was mainly generated through paid work, with benefits concentrated among women aged 20-59 years, highlighting the broader importance of timely diagnosis and treatment during economically productive years, beyond health outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The Breast Cancer donation program in Ghana generated measurable health and socioeconomic benefits beyond immediate clinical outcomes. By extending survival and quality of life, donated breast cancer medicines supported productivity, unpaid societal contributions, and broader economic resilience. These findings illustrate how targeted medicine donation programs, when combined with education, screening, and referral initiatives, can contribute to both improved cancer outcomes and socioeconomic value in resource-constrained settings. This approach may help decision-makers and donors quantify the broader societal benefit generated by access-oriented initiatives in low- and middle-income settings.
METHODS: A health-economic and value-chain modelling approach was applied to assess the annual impact of donated pharmaceutical products in breast cancer. Health outcomes were expressed as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), reflecting both survival and quality-of-life gains. These health gains were translated into socioeconomic value by estimating their effects on paid and unpaid labour. The model also captured wider macroeconomic effects, including indirect and induced economic impacts associated with improved productivity.
RESULTS: In 2025, treatment of 1,040 breast cancer patients generated an estimated $930,000 in total social and economic value, corresponding to estimated $894 per patient. The program generated 178 QALYs, equivalent to approximately two additional months of QALY per treated patient. Value was mainly generated through paid work, with benefits concentrated among women aged 20-59 years, highlighting the broader importance of timely diagnosis and treatment during economically productive years, beyond health outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The Breast Cancer donation program in Ghana generated measurable health and socioeconomic benefits beyond immediate clinical outcomes. By extending survival and quality of life, donated breast cancer medicines supported productivity, unpaid societal contributions, and broader economic resilience. These findings illustrate how targeted medicine donation programs, when combined with education, screening, and referral initiatives, can contribute to both improved cancer outcomes and socioeconomic value in resource-constrained settings. This approach may help decision-makers and donors quantify the broader societal benefit generated by access-oriented initiatives in low- and middle-income settings.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EE698
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, Oncology