CHILE

On December 10, the Ministry of Health, headed by its head Enrique Paris, announced the creation of the National Cancer Committee, an instance created under the framework of the National Cancer Law, enacted in August 2020 by President Sebastian Piñera. The objective of this instance is to advise the Ministry in the formulation of public policies, scientific research and implementation of strategies to address this disease.

 It is expected that the health portfolio, through this body, will be assisted in the development of standards, plans and programs for better prevention, surveillance, screening and control of the disease, as well as its management. The government also seeks to support the development and implementation of the National Cancer Plan; to evaluate the need for regulatory modifications that facilitate the implementation and evaluation of policies and actions in matters related to cancer; and to propose lines of scientific research and recommendations on cancer, among other goals.

 Minister Paris considered that the National Cancer Law “will mark a milestone in Chilean public health” and highlighted the composition of the committee since “it has been a long time since a council has been incorporated into a law in which scientific societies, medical schools and, above all, patient groups are represented”.

 Finally, the president of the National Cancer Committee, Bruno Nervi, pointed out that “there are currently 19 scientific organizations focused on cancer, 29 universities and 40 patient foundations/groupings”, and that they were chosen to represent “all those thousands of people who work for cancer”.