In line with Guatemala, Paraguay, Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia, Chile is advancing in the debate of its own law to combat oncological diseases. On March 5, the Senate passed the National Cancer Bill. The bill legally underpins the country’s five-year National Cancer Plan, which aims to develop and systematize a policy to fight the disease. It also creates the National Cancer Fund as a mechanism to finance patient treatment. The bill now returns to the Health Committee for review where, should they wish, senators will be able to modify specific articles of the bill. These proposals can be presented to the committee until April 1.

The bill,  passed in the Senate with broad cross-party support, establishes a normative framework for the development of the National Cancer Plan as a mechanism for delivering policies and programs related to cancer. This program, together with the research, study, evaluation, promotion and development of prevention initiatives, will be financed by the National Cancer Fund.

The bill will now return to the Health Committee for review. Here, senators will analyze the bill article by article, effecting changes to them as needed. Proposals for modifications must be submitted to the Committee by April 1, upon which they will be evaluated and if approved incorporated in the bill.