Mennini (Tor Vergata), ‘in Italy the annual expenditure for oncological pathologies is over 6 billion’

2023-08-02 19:01:31

“In Italy the annual expenditure for direct hospital costs alone for oncological pathologies is equal to approximately 4 billion euros. A figure that should make us reflect on the need to implement and change the approach as regards the application of the National Plan of fight against cancer. To the 4 billion euro must be added about 2.5 billion of welfare expenditure mainly linked to the costs borne by the social security system and a part borne by the social system as a whole. This figure too must be kept under control and above all we need to reduce it”, said Francesco Saverio Mennini, professor of Health Economics and Political Economy at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, speaking today in the Social Affairs Commission, in the context of the examination, in the context of European Union acts, of the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council ‘European plan to fight against cancer’.

Expenditure for oncological pathologies “has remained constant over time due to the increase in healthcare costs”, remarks Mennini, health economics expert at the Ministry of Health since last January. “Another aspect that characterizes all pathologies in a very important way in general in our country, including oncological ones, it is linked to healthcare mobility. The mobility analysis that we carried out together with the Ministry of Health – recalls Mennini – highlighted a reduction during the first wave of Covid, however some regions, especially those of the South, continued to record high passive mobility. This makes us reflect on the fact that an important effort must be made to smooth out regional differences in terms of hospital supply, prevention and territorial medicine”.

Reducing healthcare mobility “means reducing the costs borne by the NHS, family members and caregivers and above all it means improving the quality of life of patients. How to do? Improving hospital, territorial and home assistance, all accompanied by prevention policies that are fundamental, first of all the early diagnosis of oncological pathologies with screening programs. It is necessary and fundamental that spending on screening programs not only return to pre-pandemic levels but be able to exceed those levels”, an objective that can only be achieved “by looking for new resources as is being done at the moment” he concludes.