President Rodrigo Duterte has recently signed Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act which will be the catalyst to implement a countrywide framework towards fighting cancer.
The new law “shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which includes the strengthening of integrative, multidisciplinary, patient, and family centered cancer control policies, programs, systems, interventions and services at all levels of the existing health care delivery system.”
Another objective of the new measure will be to launch the National Integrated Cancer Control Program aimed at preventing deaths caused by cancer by giving patients “affordable and accessible” medical treatment wherever available.
The Department of Health’s Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates shows that there are eight cancer-related deaths for kids and seven for adults.