Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay advance on anti-cancer legislation
8 mayo 2019

ECUADOR

Several countries in the region are making progress in passing legislation to fight cancer. In Ecuador, on May 7, the National Assembly began its final debate on the Organic Health Code, which incorporates a specific section on cancer, as well as provisions on access to medicines. In Chile, the Senate Health Committee has kicked off the article-by-article debate on the bill to create a program to fight cancer and will be analyzing the proposed amendments presented by civil society organizations during April. Finally, Paraguay is about to regulate the law enacted in January 2019, in response to the demands of various civil organizations which specialize in the matter.

After years of debate, Ecuador is about to pass its Organic Health Code bill. The text includes provisions on access to medicines and treatments, as well as on the use and production of generics. There is also a specific section on the fight against cancer, which establishes patients’ rights and requirements for treatment.  On May 7, the National Assembly launched its second and final debate on the bill, but the breadth and depth of the discussion prompted legislators to postpone the final vote on the bill to a future session.

Chile is also working on its own bill on the subject. The Senate Health Committee has started to debate the proposed amendments presented by various civil society organizations to improve the bill. Among these is a proposal to create a financial protection regime to make it easier for patients to access cancer medication and treatment. The committee is evaluating which amendments to incorporate into the bill and hopes to pass the measure in May.

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