The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care in Latin America: 2020 and for Years to Come.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care in Latin America: 2020 and for Years to Come.
The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed health systems across the globe, exposing the most vulnerable patients. For those with cancer, the entire journey was negatively impacted, from preventive services to the delivery of care.
VISION
VISION
This study presents a comprehensive view of COVID-19’s impact on cancer care services in Latin America from the perspectives of patient organizations and physicians as well as an economic assessment.
As the pandemic increased pressure on health systems, it exacerbated the existing gaps in access to cancer care and generated additional barriers for patients. The full spectrum of cancer care, from preventive services to delivery of care, was negatively impacted, with expected repercussions in mortality rates and economic prosperity. The extent of this impact varies across Latin America, but one thing is clear: there is an urgent need to address the barriers that hinder patients’ access to quality cancer care and to strengthen health systems to be resilient in the face of future emergencies.
This study presents a comprehensive view of COVID-19’s impact on cancer care services in Latin America from the perspectives of patient organizations and physicians as well as an economic assessments.
As the pandemic increased pressure on health systems, it exacerbated the existing gaps in access to cancer care and generated additional barriers for patients. The full spectrum of cancer care, from preventive services to delivery of care, was negatively impacted, with expected repercussions in mortality rates and economic prosperity. The extent of this impact varies across Latin America, but one thing is clear: there is an urgent need to address the barriers that hinder patients’ access to quality cancer care and to strengthen health systems to be resilient in the face of future emergencies.
AUTHORS
AUTHORS
Franco Doimi
MD, Oncosalud AUNA, Oncological Pathology, Lima, Peru
Dr. Franco Doimi is a renowned oncologist based in Peru. Medical Director at Patología Oncológica S.A.C., Dr. Doimi specializes in cancer diagnostics, including biomarkers and prognostic markers. Affiliated to ONCOSALUD and Liga Peruana de Lucha Contra el Cáncer, the Peruvian oncologist is the author of numerous publications.
Isabel Alvarado-Cabrero
MD PhD, Mexican Oncology Hospital, IMSS, México
Isabel Alvarado-Cabrero
MD PhD, Mexican Oncology Hospital, IMSS, México
Dr. Isabel Alvarado-Cabrero, PhD, is amongst the most celebrated pathologists in Latin America. Based in Mexico, she is Chief of the Pathology Department at the Mexican Institute of Social Security. Dr. Alvarado-Cabrero, who specializes in oncology, has had her work published 281 times, reaching over 68,000 reads.
Dr. Isabel Alvarado-Cabrero, PhD, is amongst the most celebrated pathologists in Latin America. Based in Mexico, she is Chief of the Pathology Department at the Mexican Institute of Social Security. Dr. Alvarado-Cabrero, who specializes in oncology, has had her work published 281 times, reaching over 68,000 reads.
Mariana Rico Restrepo
MD, Americas Health Foundation (AHF), Colombia
Based in Colombia, Dr. Mariana Rico Restrepo is a physician with extensive experience in public health policy. Medical Director at the Americas Health Foundation, Dr. Rico Restrepo specializes in healthcare access barriers and inequities, and advocacy solutions in different fields including oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and women's health. Her commitment to public health and equal access has led her to work with multiple underserved rural communities across Colombia, developing and implementing integrated healthcare strategies based on population health diagnostics to optimize healthcare in some of Colombia’s most vulnerable populations.
Lilian Torregrosa
Department of Breast and Soft Tissue Surgery, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
Dr. Lilian Torregrosa is a general surgeon based in Colombia. She is Director of the Department of Surgery at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and is also the Vice-President of the Colombian Association of Surgery. The renowned physician specializes in breast and soft tissue surgery.
Ruben Torres
Rector of Universidad ISALUD, R. Argentina
Dr. Ruben Torres is the President of the Latin American Federation of Hospitals. In addition, Dr. Torres is the rector of the Argentinian university ISALUD. A sanitarian and epidemiologist, Dr. Torres has a long history in the public health scene. He was manager of the Area of Health Systems based on Primary Care at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in Washington (USA), and representative of PAHO in Chile. One of the founding members of the ISALUD University (Bs. As., Argentina), for two decades he has studied the health and social security systems, as a teacher and researcher.
Fernando Maluf
Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa, Departamento de Oncologia, São Paulo, Brasil; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Departamento de Urologia, São Paulo, Brasil
Fernando Maluf, MD, PhD, is Chief of Medical Oncology at the Beneficencia Portuguesa and a member of the steering committee of the Medical Oncology Center at Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Maluf is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is a founding member of the Brazilian Group of Gynecological Tumors (Grupo Brasileiro de Tumores Ginecológicos). He is the author of numerous publications, and currently serves as an editor for the Brazilian Oncology Manual. In December 2018, he received the academic title of Professor Livre Docente by the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo.
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