Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and Roche Products Ghana Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)to improve quality healthcare for non-communicable diseases.

Roche Products Ghana Limited is the local affiliate of the Swiss-based pharmaceutical giant- F.Hoffmann-La Roche.

This MOU is to provide the framework for the collaboration between the two parties for improved quality of healthcare for non-communicable diseases, emphasising cancer care.

Country Manager, Dr Philip Anderson, said such collaboration between industry and health professionals to serve patients better and improve healthcare must be encouraged.

He also affirmed the readiness of Roche to collaborate with the Association throughout the partnership to ensure the objectives are achieved.

Dr Anderson is also optimistic that the partnership will lead to a long-lasting impact on healthcare, especially cancer care.

On his part, the GMA President, Dr Frank Serebour, is hopeful the partnership will deliver significant improvement in the quality of health care in Ghana.

“At the heart of this is creating the needed awareness while also equipping more health professionals with the requisite expertise better to manage people with cancer and other non-communicable diseases.”

This, he believes, will significantly reduce the debilitating effects and unfortunate untimely deaths caused by these diseases.

He emphasised the need for key actors in the health sector to pool resources together and work on areas of common interest to complement the government's efforts in ensuring that every Ghanaian gets the best health care possible.

Dr Serebour added that the Ghana Medical Association is ready to partner with other corporate entities to intervene in often under-resourced aspects of health care like newborn care and emergency care.

Roche is the world's largest biotechnology company and a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives.

Their areas of interest include oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and diseases of the central nervous system.