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Healthcare: First National Multi-annual Plan of Integrated Cancer Control for 2016-2020
The Health Ministry on last Wednesday presented the first National Multi-annual Plan of Integrated Cancer Control for 2016-2020 (PNCC), which is covering new cancer control strategies in Romania, in accordance with the relevant European guidelines.
Health Minister Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu said on this occasion that this plan aims mainly at a better recording of diseases in the Cancer Registers; at promoting a healthy way of life, with understanding, avoidance and combatting of the risk factors, with basic prevention measures through vaccination policies against chronic hepatitis and HPV infections; and at furthering and improving the performances of the national cervical cancer screening programme.
New regional screening pilot programmes are provided for breast and colorectal cancer, alongside strategies for improving the performances of the current National Screening Programme for Cervical Cancer, with regional piloting of the primary HPV screening in accordance with the relevant European Handbook.
An important component of the plan is the promotion of preventive behaviour, by informing the population to avoid the risk factors and the exposure to hazards in order to cut the overall cancer risk, and through policies of vaccination against hepatitis B and HPV.
Moreover, the PNCC includes measures of insurance and control of the diagnostic quality; the multi-mode treatment and follow-up; a new important chapter of social measures based on collaboration with some actors in other governmental sectors, with non-governmental actors who provide assistance to cancer patients, and with organisations of patients; and new projects of professional training and research in oncology.
According to ministry officials, the patients' associations are invited to attend a working group that will operate under the coordination of the European Cancer Leagues Association, represented in Romania by the Romanian Cancer Society and the European Cancer Patients Coalition.
The Health Ministry will forward the plan for adoption through government decision, on the June agenda of the General Secretariat of the Government.
The National Multi-annual Plan of Integrated Cancer Control 2016-2020 (PNCC) could be adopted by government decision by June, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos announced in a video message to for the PNCC launching event on Wednesday.
"The National Multi-annual Plan of Integrated Cancer Control 2016-2020 is a debt we should have settled for some time now. I'm glad that by the latest mobilization at the Health Ministry we are today capable to table for debate this national integrated multi-annual plan. I want to thank those who have contributed to drafting it ,and I guarantee you that in the shortest time - I believe by June - we'll be able to endorse this plan through a government decision," said the prime minister.
Ciolos stressed that the plan's implementation is subject to a broader involvement that cannot be limited to the Health Ministry.
"We need all human resources at both governmental and local authorities level, the academic community, the research, the unions in this field so that this programme becomes a success. We hope it will be a success, all the more that it is part of a broader European process and benefits from a European programme against cancer financed by the European Commission," the premier added.