26 UROLOGY, URO-ONCOLOGY AND SEXOLOGY UPDATE Summary South Africa is facing an impending crisis as regards cancer prevention and control. The Percept Report predicts that with escalating cancer incidence in South Africa, an additional R50 billion will be needed by 2030 to mount an effective public health response. However, given inadequate state funding to meet these demands together with poor coordination of services, geographic disparities and public vs private inequities, it is highly unlikely that the country will be able to full its human rights obligations to cancer patients. It is against this backdrop of burgeoning need, that we investigated legal responses to similar challenges in six other countries with national cancer acts (NCAs). Although there are differences between these NCAs, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), Japan, Kenya, the Philippines and Chile share similar approaches to: developing a national cancer plan; establishing a national cancer prevention and control coordinating body; nancing cancer care and research; ensuring social protections; achieving equitable services; improving cancer surveillance; and instituting accountability mechanisms. Given the urgency to solve South Africa s current health policy decits regarding cancer, we suggest key lessons that could be leveraged to generate legislative reform. Policy conclusions • To address cancer prevention, control, care, palliation and research in a comprehensive manner, countries around the world have successfully implemented NCAs to coordinate resources and ensure accountability; • Options for South Africa would be to follow suit, and develop our own dedicated NCA, or to amend existing legislation to achieve more equitable outcomes for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as institute social protections for people living with cancer; • While a systematic review of gaps in existing legal frameworks is required, obvious legislation open to such amendments are: the National Health Insurance Bill [B11-2019] and the Conditions of Basic Employment Act [No 75 of 1997]. • Key stakeholders from government, health professionals, civil society and the private sector are called upon to initiate a national debate on how best to address the legislative and policy gaps in our current cancer frameworks. CLOSING THE GAPS IN CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL: IS A NATIONAL CANCER ACT THE SOLUTION FOR SOUTH AFRICA?
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