The Department of Health (DOH) through the Philippine Cancer Center (PCC) recently unveiled a five-year research initiative aimed at transforming cancer care in the country by enhancing treatment accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness for Filipinos.
The DOH outlined a comprehensive roadmap to achieve this goal in the National Cancer Research Agenda (NCRA) 2024-2028, which was released on November 27, 2024. It seeks to improve patient outcomes and shape informed healthcare policies.
Aligned with Republic Act No. 11215, or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, the NCRA focuses on making treatments more accessible to underserved patients and guiding research efforts to better understand and address the disease.
“This is a concrete step in paving the way for lifting the stigma of cancer as a death sentence but a crusade to save lives. We are more than elated in this collaboration among our stakeholders towards achieving healthy Filipinos,” said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
The NCRA 2024-2028 highlights several key objectives:
· Enhancing early cancer prevention, detection, and treatment
· Strengthening healthcare systems to support cancer control efforts
· Advancing research on traditional, complementary, and personalized medicine
· Providing holistic care to improve patient comfort and well-being
Present at the launch were DOH Undersecretaries Abdullah Dumama Jr. and Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong, Assistant Secretaries Ariel Valencia and Paolo Teston, House Committee on Health Vice Chair and South Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Peter Miguel, Interim PCC Executive Director Dr. Alfonso Nunez III of the East Avenue Medical Center.
