Raising Public Awareness, Adding Oncologists Are Key in Mexico’s Cancer Fight Latin American Herald Tribune
go to original July 26, 2017

Cancer specialist Pedro Mario Escudero participates in a Mexico City forum on the disease on July 24, 2017, organized by EFE, Spain's international news agency, and the daily El Universal. (EFE/Mario Guzman)

The plan for attacking cancer in Mexico must include turning out more oncologists from medical schools, better cooperation among institutions and raising public awareness about the need for regular checkups, experts agreed this week.

“Without a doubt, the ability of any national health care system depends on the production of human resources,’ said Dr. German Enrique Fajardo at the forum entitled “Cancer: Challenges in Mexico and Latin America” organized by Agencia EFE, Spain’s international news agency, and the daily El Universal.

“We have a very small production of medical experts in oncology,” said Fajardo, adding that there are 1,700 oncologists in Mexico with 44 new cancer surgeons graduating each year.

In addition, just 10 percent of the country’s 160 medical schools “have oncology as a subject in their training (program),” he added.

The problem, moreover, lies not only in the number of available oncologists but also in their distribution.

The solution is to gradually distribute qualified personnel around the country, something that – Fajardo said – is not easy.

Read the rest at Latin American Herald Tribune

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