world cancer report - iarc

Fig. 7.17 Main causes of death in developed and developing countries, for 1985, 1990 and 1997. WHO World Health Report, 1998.
Equitable and effective access to care
To ensure equitable access to and provision
of quality care, a cancer care delivery
system has to be organized with due reference
to cultural differences, individual
attitudes and other determinants of
access to health care. It should then be
incorporated into the existing health care
infrastructure in order to achieve efficiency,
coordination and effective management.
Ultimately, when relevant interventions
are incorporated into standard medical
practice, the benefits of state-of-theart
knowledge and practice will be available
to all people, enhancing their health
and well-being.
Effective mechanisms and procedures for
improving access to health care, while
maintaining and raising the quality of provision
and outcome of care, pose a challenge
in all countries. The elimination or
rapid decline in incidence of many infectious
diseases shows that sufficient experience
already exists to recognize and
respond to the need for change in health
care delivery and management. A “primary
health care” approach could be
used. Experience in health care delivery is
a valuable asset that can be fruitfully
applied in formulating and implementing
meaningful public health policies for the
control of cancer and other chronic diseases.
There is enough knowledge available to
analyse the cancer burden and to apply
resources where they will have the great-
est impact. Regardless of economic circumstances,
a critical assessment of
needs, appropriate planning and prioritization
can curtail the toll of cancer worldwide.
Additionally, an aspect of managing
the development and implementation of
cancer control strategies is to ensure that
all members of the population benefit
from such progress and that disparities
are reduced. Attention must be given to
ways of reducing the cost of cancer treatments
and of translating laboratory
research into clinical practice. Also
required are improved methods of formulating
and implementating public health
policies and strategies that address tobacco
control, infection control and healthy
eating. Innovative approaches to cancer
Perspectives and priorities 325