Cancer Levy condemned

Community Working Group on health officials have condemned plans by government to introduce cancer levy saying it could further  burben members of the public who are struggling to make ends meet.

"The state should come up with a clear position on the treatment and the management of cancer.

"We propose that the State should grow the Aids levy by tapping into the informal sector to also start contributing towards the Aids levy, decentralise to lessen the burden of high out of pocket costs on the poor who are the majority of sick people," said director Itai Rusike.

Cancer has become the biggest killer disease in the country overtaking HIV chiefly because of the astronomical costs a patient must bear to be treated.

Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa is quoted by the Chronicle saying  the high cost of cancer treatment was worrying and Government was considering introducing a cancer levy or have a separate budget allocation for cancer treatment as another possible intervention.

"We are having an active discussion on the cancer levy since we have an Aids levy. We tried to treat HIV-related cancers under the Aids levy.

"However, because the cancer drugs are so expensive, they need to be looked at separately. In fact the most expensive drug in all medicine is for cancer treatment," said Parirenyatwa.