Olfat Berro grew up in Lebanon in a poor community affected by a long war. She studied pharmacy at the Lebanese University and later completed a doctorate of practice in France.
She joined Roche in 2003 as a medical sales representative. In 2015 she became country manager for Roche in Lebanon and four years later she was appointed area head for the Middle East, the first woman at the company to hold that role. In 2022 she helped launch RiSE, a talent development programme for PhD and medical students.
As area head she worked with health authorities in the region. In 2020 Roche joined an Egyptian national women’s health initiative. The programme screened more than 29 million women and cut advanced-stage breast cancer by 50 per cent. Roche also began work with Egypt on liver cancer and supported digital healthcare projects in Iraq and Bahrain.
Difficult words
- community — A group of people living in one place.
- affect — To change or harm someone or something.affected
- doctorate — A very advanced degree after university study.
- medical sales representative — A person who sells medicines to doctors.
- appoint — To give someone a job or position.appointed
- screen — To check people for a disease or problem.screened
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why are health screening programmes important for communities?
- Would you like to work in a health company like Roche? Why or why not?
- How can programmes for PhD and medical students help a country?
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