Fighting with cancer in Bulgaria
In September 2011, World Health Organization (WHO) consultants Jill Farrington and Jan Stjernsward visited Bulgaria and held working meetings with the WHO national counterparts on noncommunicable diseases for the preparation of the workshop “Cancer prevention, treatment and rehabilitation” funded by WHO.
The WHO consultants and their Bulgarian colleagues reviewed the available documents (National action plans on prevention and treatment, guidelines, cancer treatment protocols etc.) and held working meetings with the Deputy Minister of Health Desislava Dimitrova, the national counterparts on noncommunicable diseases, tobacco, alcohol and nutrition and colleagues from public health institutions.
As a follow-up on 30 September – 1 October 2011, the workshop “Cancer prevention, treatment and rehabilitation” took place in Sofia. It was opened by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr Kiril Dobrev, the Acting Head of WHO Country Office in Bulgarian Dr Farman Abdullayev and the WHO National counterpart on cancer Assoc. Professor Zdravka Valerianova.
The workshop gathered together oncologists from different hospitals in Bulgaria and formed working groups to discuss and develop the relevant documents on the National action plans on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of cancer.
The participants prepared recommendations to the Ministry of Health on:
- Palliative care – establish a national focal point, develop national policy and strategies for building up palliative care, education and training, drug availability, reimbursement of palliative care, strengthening cancer registry, surveys of knowledge attitudes;
- Therapy – comprehensive national tumor care guidelines, essential drug list with clear criteria for cost effectiveness, adequate radiotherapy equipment, funding and facilities, quality control and accreditation if laboratories, real cost reimbursement, training and qualification for radiotherapists, physicists and radiology technicians;
- Prevention – strong tobacco and alcohol regulatory framework, strengthen action on tobacco, nutrition, physical activity and alcohol, adequate resources for prevention (3% taxation), exploring HPV vaccination, maintain universal Hepatitis B vaccination and achieve adequate coverage, enviro0nmental hazards (education and legislation, occupational health legislation, sexual health promotion and good data on sexual transmitted diseases;
- Early detection – health education for raising awareness of early signs and symptoms among public and professionals, population level organized, adequately resourced quality assured screening programs, achieving sufficient coverage.
