President Klaus Iohannis approved the decree promulgating the law approving the National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan.

What does the National Plan against Cancer provide

The normative act provides that all Romanian citizens who are in the territory of Romania, have a place of residence or residence in Romania, citizens of the member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area and citizens of the Swiss Confederation, as well as foreigners and stateless persons who live or reside in Romania, have the state-guaranteed right to medical, social and psychological support services included in the National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan, such as: medical services for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, care services, including palliative care, psycho-oncology, onco-nutrition and oncofertility, social services and monthly food assistance, writes Agerpres.

According to the law, the plan is implemented for the period 2023-2030 and is the main state-political document that is the basis of measures to prevent and fight cancer at the national level. The document is updated depending on the results obtained and in accordance with the strategic directions in the field of cancer prevention and control, defined by the World Health Organization and at the level of the European Union.

“The Ministry of Health, as the central body in the field of public health, is responsible for planning, initiating, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating all measures necessary to prevent and fight cancer. The responsibility for implementing the measures of the plan is assigned to the National Health Service and the Ministry of Finance,” the law states.

National plan against cancer, effective from January 1, 2023

The National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan in Romania is mainly financed by the Ministry of Health from the state budget. The amount approved annually for financing the national plan is at least 20% of the total amount of funds approved for the implementation of health care programs at the national level by the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Fund, the law provides.

The regulatory act also stipulates that the Ministry of Finance creates and finances an innovative health care fund at the expense of the budget of the Ministry of Health.

Implementation of all goals and measures contained in the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Cancer is the duty of all central and local government bodies, as well as all individuals and legal entities.

Within 180 days from the date of entry into force of the law, the Government must approve by Decision the rules for the application and implementation of the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Cancer in Romania, developed by the Ministry of Health together with each ministry that has a medical network.

The law enters into force on January 1, 2023.

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