30 March 2015 – Philippine Health Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin was one of the key speakers at the Health Care in Asia 2015 held at the Harbour Grand Kowloon March 20.  Organized by The Economist Asia Pacific magazine, the forum’s theme is “The War on Cancer: Enemy of the State”.

The forum focused on the fight against cancer, a disease that is reportedly becoming a major rapid cause of death in the region, and a complex and costly challenge to health systems. 

One session discussed the state of cancer control in Asia where most governments recognize the coming cancer crisis but individual countries have responded variedly. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that in the next 20 years, cancer cases worldwide will surge to 25 million per year, a 75% increase from the 2008 figures.  The economic cost of this crisis staggers at over US$1 trillion which will strain rich countries and damage poor ones.

Secretary Garin’s speech focused on the passage of the Philippines’ Sin Tax Law which mandates that 80% of tax collected under this program goes to the Department of Health (DOH) budget for Philhealth-related programs, including medical assistance and health enhancement. END