By Merilynn Steenkamp, Managing Director, Southern Africa, Multi-Country Network, Roche Diagnostics
Across South Africa, women play a central role in sustaining economic activity. They lead classrooms, staff hospital wards, run small businesses, work in agriculture, build enterprises and manage households. In many communities, they are the primary earners and the primary caregivers.1
In March, as South Africa observes International Women’s Month, recognising women’s contribution also means ensuring that systems are structured to protect their health. Reliable access to early diagnostics remains one of the most practical levers available to support that protection.
When women experience illness, the impact extends well beyond a single diagnosis. Time away from work affects income, productivity and career progression. In informal employment, where many South African women operate without formal protections, illness can immediately reduce household earnings. The economic effects are felt first at the family level, then across communities.
Women make up the majority of South Africa’s health and social services workforce. They also carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work in households². Globally, UN Women reports that women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income into their families and communities³. That reinvestment strengthens education, nutrition and long-term stability across generations.
Imagine a young nurse, working at a local clinic, earning a mid-level salary. As the sole breadwinner in her home, living month-to-month, she must use the funds available to pay school fees and associated costs for her children. As she also cares for her aged mother, five people rely on her steady income to survive. If she becomes seriously ill for an extended period of time, the effects are potentially catastrophic for her family, and compound pressure on the economy at large.
South Africa continues to carry a high burden of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis⁴ and HIV, while non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer are rising. Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among South African women⁵. But when this cancer is detected early, the five-year relative survival rate exceeds 90 percent. That makes it imperative to raise awareness around early detection, as when cervical cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, survival drops significantly⁶.
Early and accurate diagnostics protect women’s ability to remain economically active, particularly for preventable illnesses. Early testing enables faster treatment, reduces complications and limits the need for more complex interventions later. In the case of infectious diseases, it also reduces transmission and protects colleagues, families and communities.
South Africa has a strong laboratory foundation to build on. The National Health Laboratory Service operates one of the largest diagnostic networks in the region, supporting large-scale testing every day⁷. Leveraging existing laboratory capacity allows screening and early detection programmes to expand in ways that are sustainable and aligned with national health priorities.
High-performance HPV testing, rapid HIV diagnostics, molecular tuberculosis testing and integrated blood panels are examples of tools that shorten the path from suspicion to confirmation. Reducing diagnostic delays supports workplace continuity and strengthens health system efficiency. In a country focused on improving workforce participation and economic resilience, this connection is direct.
Protecting women’s health strengthens household stability, supports workforce participation and reinforces economic resilience. Prioritising early diagnosis is a clear and measurable way to invest in South Africa’s long-term growth.
It starts at home, with our mothers, sisters and daughters. Let’s keep reminding them, every now and then, to take a moment and consider their own well-being, for them, and for all of us.
References
- Statistics South Africa. Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). Available at: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=16408
- Statistics South Africa. South Africa Time Use Survey. Available at: https://www.statssa.gov.za
- UN Women. Facts and figures: Economic empowerment. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org
- World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Report. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/tb-reports
- Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). Cervical cancer. Available at: https://cansa.org.za/cervical-cancer/
- National Cancer Institute. Cervical Cancer Survival Rates. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/survival
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). About NHLS. Available at: https://www.nhls.ac.za/
