In October 2017, the Ministry for Health published a new National Cancer Plan. The Plan presents the strategies that Malta is adopting to continue improving the provision of public cancer control services over the five-year period 2017–2021.
In Malta, approximately 2000 persons are currently being diagnosed with cancer each year while almost 900 deaths (about 30% of all deaths) are attributed to cancer annually. Additionally, the number of people in Malta diagnosed with cancer since 1994 and surviving this disease is estimated to have surpassed 12,000 individuals amounting to about 3% of the total population. National five-year survival rates have shown notable improvements, especially for breast, prostate, large bowel and childhood cancers and we can expect further improvements for cancers that are now covered by a national screening programme (breast, large bowel and uterine cervix).
This National Cancer Plan sets out an integrated and comprehensive plan of action. It builds on the successes of the first National Cancer Plan and is addressing pending and emerging new challenges in cancer control. Among the challenges are the inevitable increase in demand for cancer care services generated by the rise in incidence and prevalence of cancer cases in Malta, and the consequent rise in cancer care costs, which is further compounded by the rapidly evolving sophistication and expansion of the cancer treatments.
The ultimate aim of the new National Cancer Plan is to improve a number of identified outcomes that are important for both the patients and society. These include:
- Reduction of cancer incidence;
- Improvement of cancer survival; and
- Improvement of patients’ experience and quality of life.
Substantial pillars of this Plan include cancer prevention especially when integrated with prevention of chronic diseases; expansion of the organised cancer screening programmes; strengthening of processes that assist early detection of primary and recurrent cancers; adoption of more integrated care approaches to improve provision and co-ordination of care; increasing capacity to address the rehabilitation, psychosocial and palliative care needs and the special needs of cancer survivors; and increasing opportunities and the available infrastructure for research concerning various aspects of the cancer care pathway.
The full National Cancer Plan can be accessed from https://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/Documents/National-Health-Strategies/NationalCancerPlan2017.pdf.