CONGRESS should consider transferring even a small part of the P10-billion confidential funds in the 2024 budget to save the roughly 9,000 Filipinas who die of breast cancer every year, according to the Kasuso Foundation, a group that has been educating women on cancer prevention and survival.
“On behalf of our Filipina sisters who are suffering and whose pain can be prevented and eased, Kasuso Foundation is joining other cancer groups in asking Congress for more funds for early cancer detection and treatment”, said Aileen Antolin, foundation convenor.
The foundation said every year, around 27,000 new breast cancer cases are found among local women while 9,000 who were diagnosed in previous years die.
Data show only 1 percent of Filipinas get tested for cancer each year, probably the lowest in the world with neighboring countries posting around 20 percent and rich countries around 50 percent.
The congressional budget for cancer was only about P1 billion and raised last year to around P1.5 billion.
Antolin said the budget must be increased so public hospitals nationwide and even private ones can test women to prevent their cancer, if found positive, from progressing. At the moment, only about 23 public hospitals offer such a service, denying an unknown number of women from such tests in the provinces.
For treatment, there are even fewer hospitals and the budget must be taken also from the P1.5 billion which can accommodate only from 200 to 300 cancer patients who must undergo 18 cycles of treatment using chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy, which does not kill healthy cells and has milder side effects.
Women, Antolin said, usually come for help only when it is too late because they have no money for the early detection tests and because they know about the financial hardship they and their families have to suffer if found positive.
“Let us save our women. Pakurot naman sa confidential funds,” Antolin said.
She also said the government should find ways for PhilHealth to help ease the financial toxicity families of cancer patients suffer.
Kasuso provides free mammogram, which is not covered by the universal health care, in strategic locations in the country. Women who are 40 years and older will need to present only a doctor’s request to avail themselves of the free mammogram.
Kasuso, non-profit, volunteer-based organization dedicated to serve indigent patients through early detection, can be contacted at 09171831048 or mail pfbci.kasuso@yahoo.com
