Cancer Care in an Economically Torn Country: Cyprus

Abstract

Cyprus, an island with under one million population in the Eastern Mediterranean, has been divided since 1974; in the south, the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, where predominantly the Greek Cypriot community resides, and comprising about two-thirds of the island’s area, and the Turkish-controlled area in the north, where the Turkish Cypriot community resides. Until 2012, as a result of thriving financial services, tourism and shipping services, Cyprus prospered with a national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, similar to the European Union average. Following a crisis brought on by problems in the banking sector (as a result of exposure to Greek National Bonds and poor lending), and a large fiscal deficit, a financial assistance program was put in place, as well as bail-in of bank depositors. The downturn in the economy with over a 10 % cumulative decrease in the GDP (since 2012) and unemployment reaching 20 %, has also meant a 10 % decrease in health care spending. As a result charges for accessing cancer services have been introduced, whilst funding for new innovative oncology drugs has been affected, and plans for new radiotherapy facilities have been postponed. Equally, palliative care services have been affected. Almost 2 years now from the peak of the 2013 crisis, there is tangible hope of a recovery of the Cyprus economy for 2015. At the same time, there is the challenge of the setting up of a new national General Health Care System, and the challenge of reorganization of Cancer Services becoming more efficient and cost effective, whilst remaining easy to access for patients and responsive to patients needs. Issues relating to cancer incidence in Cyprus, deficiencies in the current health care system and organization of cancer services, the impact of the financial crisis to Palliative Care and Cancer services, issues relating to reorganization of Cancer services: centralization versus fragmentation of services, cost-effective care, and personalized oncology are being discussed in more detail in this chapter.