Olfat Berro grew up in Lebanon in a poor community affected by the 15-year war (1975–90). The difficulty people faced in obtaining healthcare guided her career choice: she wanted to improve health services and access to medicines across the region.
Berro studied pharmaceutical sciences at the Lebanese University and completed a doctorate of practice at Claude Bernard University Lyon in France. She joined Roche in 2003 as a medical sales representative, became country manager for Lebanon in 2015 and, four years later, was appointed area head for the Middle East — the first woman at Roche to hold that role. She credits family support, mentors and continuous self-development for her rise and advocates lifelong learning and girls’ participation in STEM. In 2022 she helped launch RiSE, a Roche talent development programme for PhD and medical students.
As area head she built collaborations with health authorities across the Middle East. In 2020 Roche worked with the Egyptian Ministry of Health on the Egyptian Women’s Health Support initiative, launched by President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi. Over three years the programme secured screenings for more than 29 million women and reduced advanced-stage breast cancer by 50 per cent. Roche has since begun a new collaboration with the Egyptian government to reduce the burden of liver cell cancer; that work includes advanced diagnostic solutions, innovative treatments and developing capacity for data recording and management.
Roche also supports digital transformation projects in Iraq and Bahrain and conducts research worldwide to study drug effects in patients from different racial backgrounds. Berro highlights the company’s efforts on reasonable pricing and ensuring access to medication regardless of patients’ economic status. Her stated goal is to improve outcomes and reduce side effects so communities in the region can be healthier and safer.
- Collaboration on breast cancer screening and early diagnosis in Egypt
- New partnership on liver cell cancer with Egyptian authorities
- Support for digital transformation in healthcare in Iraq and Bahrain
Difficult words
- doctorate — the highest university degree after research
- appointed — officially given a job or position
- collaboration — work together by two or more groupscollaborations
- screening — medical test to find disease earlyscreenings
- diagnostic — used to identify a disease or condition
- capacity — ability or resources to do a particular task
- burden — heavy problem or responsibility to manage
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might the RiSE talent development programme help PhD and medical students in the region? Give examples from the article.
- What challenges could remain when trying to ensure access to medicines regardless of patients’ economic status?
- Do you think collaborations between companies and governments, like the Egyptian programmes, are an effective way to improve public health? Why or why not?
Related articles
Mental health conditions raise risk of injury
A large study in Nature Mental Health found people with mental health conditions have higher risks of self-harm, assault and unintentional injuries. The research used population records and had US federal funding and calls for better prevention.
Teen drug use in the US stays near pandemic low
For the fifth year in a row, use of most substances among US teenagers remains close to the low point reached in 2021, according to the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey. Some drugs rose slightly, and researchers say monitoring must continue.
Nigeria restores English as medium of instruction
The Federal Government reversed the 2022 National Language Policy and restored English as the sole medium of instruction from pre-primary to tertiary. The November 2025 decision has prompted strong debate among educators, linguists and cultural groups.
