COLOMBIA

The Latin American Network of Cancer Institutes of Latin America and the Caribbean (RINC LAC, for its acronym in Spanish) met in Bogota to discuss joint work between the nine regional institutes involved and new mechanisms designed to improve cancer treatments in the public health system. The next meeting is scheduled for the second half of the year.

The meeting focused on drawing commitment from the regional institutes’ representatives to invest in the “transfer of knowledge, strengthening institutes and implementing good practices to reduce the cancer incidence and mortality rates in the region.” The idea is to spend more on research as well as to shore up public health capabilities to control the disease.

The directors of the Cancer Institutes from Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Panama, Peru, Mexico and Bolivia were joined by the WHO/PAHO subregional advisor on chronic non-communicable diseases, Enrique Gil, and the Colombian Minister of Health, Juan Pablo Uribe.