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Breast cancer foundation seeks portion of P10.1B confidential funds
Breast cancer foundation seeks portion of P10.1B confidential funds
Kasuso Foundation, a non-profit volunteer-based organization dedicated to providing free breast cancer detection services, has sought a portion of the administration's P10.1 billion worth of confidential funds for 2024 to further help Filipinas suffering from the disease.
"Let us save our women. Pakurot naman sa confidential funds (Let us have a portion of the confidential funds)," said Aileen Antolin, convenor of the Kasuso Foundation, in a statement on Sunday, Aug. 6.
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She noted that Kasuso joins other cancer groups in asking Congress for more funds for early cancer detection and treatment.
Each year, an estimated 27,000 new breast cancer cases are detected, while about 9,000 previously diagnosed patients die.
"Data show only one 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 group said.
Kasuso stated that the congressional budget for cancer was only P1 billion per year before increasing to around P1.5 billion in 2022.
Antolin stressed the importance of increasing the fund in order to equip all public and private hospitals with proper testing and treatment resources if a patient is ever found to be positive.
As of the moment, Kasuso said there are only 23 hospitals nationwide that offer such services, "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," the foundation pointed out.
It also urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to "find ways" to ease the financial burden that families of cancer patients face during treatment.
"Kasuso also provides free mammogram, which is not covered by the universal health care, in strategic locations in the country. Women who are 40 years old and above will only need to present a doctor's request to avail of the free mammogram. Kasuso can be contacted at 09171831048 or email [email protected]," it added.