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Cancer Facts and Figures, Cont.'
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Many countries have little or no
cancer care resources
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70%
of those with cancer live in countries that between them have
less than 5% of the world's cancer control resources. |
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The
U.S. has 12 radiation therapy treatment machines per million
versus 0.4 machines per million in Latin America. |
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Cervical
cancer, a disease that is almost completely curable with early
detection and treatment, claims a life every 75 minutes in Brazil. |
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There is a demand for private cancer
care
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The
World Health Organization recently shifted its strategy to attract a
strong private sector into helping tackle the cancer problem. |
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In
Latin America, private hospitals now account for a greater share
of total beds and patient activities than public institutions. |
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The
private insurance industry is growing - as an example, more than
39 million Brazilians (25% of the population) are now covered
by insurance and membership is expected to increase to 50 million
by 2000. |
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Of the estimated 10% that
can afford private care in other countries, a significant number
are forced to travel long distances to the U.S. for advanced
cancer treatment. |
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