:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/LT6MRCJZDFGMFLY5GW37ESHLC4.jpeg "Some 96 Peruvians die a day due to cancer")
The Cancer It constitutes a public health problem in Peru and in the world due to its high mortality. The use of therapeutic services such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, procedures that carry high costs and the need for adequate infrastructure, place a significant burden on patients and their families.
“During 2020, 69,849 new cases of cancer were detected and 34,976 people died; that is to say, In recent years the incidence and mortality of this disease has been increasing due to a lack of health policies, focused on prevention and the lack of preventive culture of citizens, adding to this the strong pandemic that hit our health system hard. Health, ”, says Adolfo Dammert, president of the League Against Cancer (LCC).
But it is important to note that this year the National Law Against Cancer was enacted N° 31336, which guarantees universal, free and priority coverage of health services for all cancer patients in the country. The purpose is to provide comprehensive oncological care, considering health promotion, rehabilitation, palliative care and cancer research, among other aspects, as vital axes.
It is established that the State, through the entities of the health sector of the three levels of government (national government, regional and local governments), will encourage and promote concrete measures that promote the promotion of health, which will have to be carried out in an egalitarian and inclusive way.
In addition, with the objective of providing an adequate diagnosis, timely care and follow-up of cancer patients at the national level, the implementation of an oncology network is available. Likewise, as complementary provisions, the organization and execution of actions for the prevention, promotion, control and surveillance of breast and cervical cancer at the national level, research, telemedicine to combat cancer is declared of public necessity and preferential national interest. and creation of the national tumor bank.
“In conclusion, the law establishes the responsibility of the State to formulate, implement and evaluate the national policy to fight cancer, where the indicators and minimum standards of comprehensive oncological care are established that allow measuring the opportunity of diagnosis and the initiation of cancer. treatment, as well as In other words, the national cancer law is crucial to improve access and comprehensive coverage for people in the current context of the pandemic ”, projection Adolfo Dammert.
On the regulation of Law 31336
The organization considers it necessary and a priority to have a specific instrument that guarantees the rights of people who fight every day against this disease. Likewise, and with the same urgency, there must be a national policy against cancer, with minimum indicators and standards that can be the subject of surveillance.
“The current pandemic has shown us the need to strengthen the health system and to reinforce actions in favor of highly vulnerable groups. Timely compliance with the approved laws is one of them, especially if they involve diseases, as is the case, “he said. Dammert.
The regulation will allow the implementation of the standard and the financing charged to the different Administrating Institutions of Health Insurance Funds, both public and private (IAFAS).
About the most vulnerable population
The new law will allow the decentralization of promotion, prevention and diagnosis services, benefiting sectors of poverty and extreme poverty in the interior of the country, because it is detailed in the LCC. In addition, it should strengthen the vaccination strategy against the human papilloma virus in girls and adolescents in school at the national level.
According to the law, it has been estimated that the decentralization of cancer care would allow the provision of specialized services. “This law marks a milestone in how our country deals with a disease as damaging as cancer. From different fronts we are waiting for the regulation and we are sure that it will have an unprecedented impact on the health of Peruvians ”, Dammert concludes.
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