Peru: Castillo Assures Free Health Care for Cancer Patients

On Tuesday, Peru’s President Pedro Castillo enacted the National Cancer Act, which aims to ensure universal and free health care coverage for all oncological patients, regardless of the type of cancer they suffer.

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"Our government will work to make sure that the Peruvian health system will no longer be a privilege," Castillo assured. The new law will apply to all public, private, and mixed companies that provide oncological health services.

Thanks to the new law, if citizens with cancer do not have health insurance or if their insurance does not cover all treatments, they will immediately be affiliated to the Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS) to receive full and free health care coverage.

The law also establishes that the Peruvian State must establish inclusive, and non-discriminatory policies for the prevention of cancer.

As part of these measures, the Castillo administration will strengthen vaccination against papillomavirus in girls and adolescents to prevent cervical cancer. 

This law also empowers the Health Ministry to use differentiated procurement mechanisms for the pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health services necessary to treat oncological diseases. It further allows health authorities to renew biomedical equipment and improve the infrastructure of oncological hospitals.

In the near future, the Castillo administration will implement the National Cancer Control Policy (PNC), which foster health promotion and cancer research to guarantee comprehensive oncological care for all citizens.