Chile boosts child cancer care, lacks technology:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Chile accepts that it lacks the equipment, consumables and sophisticated imaging and other testing necessary to improve the delivery of its integrated paediatric cancer care programme. This assessment is contained in a new manual on early detection of childhood cancers in the primary care setting, published last week by the health ministry. It says that "although the programme is complete and there are no waiting lists, it is not perfect". Cancer is the second-largest cause of death among Chile's 5-15 year olds (totalling some 4.3 million in 2001), at a rate of 3.4 cases for every 100,000. The programme was established in 1999.