AKEL’s proposals to combat cancer adopted
Statement by AKEL MEP G. Georgiou on World Cancer Day
3 February 2022
Cancer is the second cause of death in Europe. 1.3 million of our fellow human beings lose the battle every year. Of these, 6,000 are children. However, 40% of cancers can be prevented and with early treatment cancer can even be cured.
As AKEL, together with the Group of the European Left in the European Parliament, our top priority is to combat inequalities and ensure equal access to prevention, early diagnosis and treatments for cancer.
The adoption of AKEL’s proposals, which I tabled, as shadow Rapporteur, on the European Parliament’s report on the fight against cancer, was a particularly positive development. More specifically, with the submission of our amendments the following proposals were adopted:
- Strengthening of public health services (including fiscal aspects, infrastructures and parameters relating to professionals employed in the health sector) to accelerate the prevention, screening and diagnosis of cancer,
- Establishment of high-quality radiotherapy departments and modern oncology centres in public hospitals,
- Increase funding to member states to expand their radiotherapy infrastructures and ensure equal access to quality radiotherapy,
- Developing a digital health system to ensure out-of-hospital cancer treatment and care,
- Free access to treatments and medicines used by cancer patients through public health services and promote policies for free access to medicines for users over 65 years of age, chronic patients and families facing financial difficulties,
- Provide psychosocial support to patients and their families,
- Enhancing the quality of life of patients,
- Strengthening the right to cross-border care,
- Promoting the development of new paediatric anti-cancer medicines,
- Increase funding for pediatric cancer and other rare cancers,
- Promote targeted screening for high-risk groups,
- Develop multidisciplinary treatment teams to support cancer patients throughout their treatment process.
Most importantly, there must be political will demonstrated by governments to translate our proposals into action.
Particularly with regards pediatric cancer, we are also looking forward to the results of the implementation of our two proposals adopted by the plenary of the European Parliament 6 months ago for 2022. More specifically, we have asked for €1.3 million to be allocated from the 2022 Community budget to create a platform that will include, in digital format, data from all member states that can contribute to improving diagnosis and developing new treatments for pediatric cancer, and €3 million to create a pilot programme to assess the nutritional status of children with cancer, with the aim of promoting nutritional approaches that support the treatment process.
Our struggle is not easy, but we shall continue to fight to ensure that health ceases to be a privilege of the few and is ensured as a public, social good and human right.
