Healthcare company Roche Diagnostics is planning to increase its presence in China, to make it its second largest market from its current fifth position.

"In the coming years, the company will invest 300 million Swiss francs in China and add nine more offices across the country," Daniel O'Day, chief operating officer of Roche, said during a recent trip to China. He said the investment will focus on people development, recruitment, instruments and systems.

"China is a key strategic market for Roche Diagnostics and one in which we will continue to invest heavily, so we can continue to bring innovation to the country that helps promote people's health and quality of life. As part of this, and in recognition of the talent that exists in the country, we are continuing with our well established scholarship scheme for a number of key universities in China and training programs for healthcare professionals," O'Day said.

Over the past three years, Roche Diagnostics has grown more than 30 percent in the country.

"Roche has been continuing to invest in innovation to drive the development of new and more advanced tests to better manage disease," he said. "While the introduction of lab automation has enabled hospitals and laboratories to upgrade to high global standards, point-of-care solutions, including testing at the bedside, help community hospitals and clinics to expand access to quality healthcare for patients in the community," said O'Day.

According to Roche Diagnostics, the new human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test will be available in China this year. It will be used in detecting specific high-risk HPV strains (HPV 16 and HPV 18) that cause 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer.

Statistics from the health department showed that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Chinese women, accounting for more than a quarter of worldwide incidences. Early diagnosis of cervical cancer is critical because, if caught in the pre-cancerous stages, the cure rate is 98 percent. Once the disease progresses beyond the cervix, the five-year survival rate drops to just 20 percent.