President Andrzej Duda took part in the conference on the occasion of the International Cancer Day under the slogan “Strategy and what next?”. Duda praised Poland’s newly-adopted National Oncology Strategy as a sign of the government’s responsibility for future generations.
The President said that Poles live longer and longer, so the probability of getting an oncological disease increases and will increase. He noted that according to forecasts, there will be 15 percent more cases of cancer in the next 5 years and 28 percent more in the next 10 years. “This is not a distant prospect to prepare for”, Duda said. “I am very happy that the National Oncology Strategy is taking shape. I hope that thanks to today’s meeting it will also be effectively implemented”, he said. Duda added that the cancer program was aimed as a safeguard against an expected rise in cancer rates. On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on the National Oncological Strategy for 2020-2030. The main goal of the program is to increase the percentage of people surviving five years after stopping cancer therapy. The strategy is expected to cost the Polish budget PLN 250 mln (EUR 58 mln) in 2020, PLN 450 mln (EUR 105 mln) annually in 2021-2023 and PLN 500 mln (EUR 117 mln) annually in 2024-2030.