Duterte signs cancer control program bill into law

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that institutionalizes a national integrated cancer control program.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act on February 14, a copy of which was released by Malacañang on Tuesday.

The law mandates the adoption of 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.

The measure seeks to establish the National Integrated Cancer Control Program that aims to lessen deaths from and incidence of preventable cancer in adults and children and prevent cancer recurrence and secondary cancer among survivors and people living with cancer.

The program also aims to make cancer treatment and care affordable and accessible and support the recovery and reintegration to society of cancer survivors, and eliminate various forms of burden on patients, people living with cancer, survivors and their families, among others.

Under the law, a National Integrated Cancer Advisory Council shall be created to develop the National Cancer Control roadmap with annual targets, priorities and performance benchmarks for the effective institutionalization of integrated cancer control strategies, policies, programs and service in the national and local health care system.

The council will develop, update, and promote evidence-based treatment standards and guidelines and innovative and cost-effective cancer care models for adult and children cancer.

It will also develop innovative and cost-effective cancer care service models as well as "clearly defined patient care pathways and evidence-based standards of care" for the network of cancer centers.

The council, which will be attached to the Department of Health, is composed of the secretaries of health, social welfare and development, labor and employment, interior and local government, president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and director general of the Food and Drug Administration or their respective representatives.

The other members of the council are two medical doctors and three representatives from cancer-focused support organizations and advocacy network.

The law also orders the Department of Health to intensify its cancer awareness campaign and provide the latest evidence-based information for the prevention and treatment of cancer. It also directs the establishment of a cancer assistance fund to support the cancer medicine and treatment assistance program.

The law takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation. —LDF, GMA News