On April 11, the Chamber of Deputies officially created the Parliamentary Front for the Defense of Preventive Health, with the aim of promoting policy debate on the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer. The Front will be presided over by Deputy Felipe Carreras (Partido Socialista Brasileño – opposition) who, together with other legislators, will outline an agenda of activities to promote the debate of bills aimed at the prevention and control of diseases of this kind. In addition, the Executive announced that the Ministry of Health will this year invest in medicines for the treatment of hemophilia.

João Roma (Partido Republicano Brasileño – ally of the ruling party), vice-president of the Front, stressed that the work of this initiative will “leave a legacy in Brazilian public policy for the quality of life of future generations”. One of the objectives of the Front this year will be to promote debate over possible measures and policies to reduce mortality rates on cancer and diabetes, among other diseases. The deputies are expected to develop, over the next months, a series of initiatives aimed at highlighting the importance for Congress of legislating to ensure better prevention and control of these illnesses.

In addition, the Ministry of Health announced that by 2019, R$ 1.3 billion will be invested to ensure the purchase of medicines used in the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic diseases, such as hemophilia A and B, in the Unified Health System (SUS). Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Minister of Health, reported that while the ministry currently guarantees medicines to carriers of hemophilia and integrated care to patients and their families, they are working to expand that support network in terms of drugs provision. The Executive’s focus on health financing could eventually lead to the purchase of medicines to treat a wider range of illnesses in the coming months.