National Health Insurance
Research and Further Resources on Cancer in South Africa

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The chapter on life-style induced cancer in South Africa contains excellent material on the aetiology and the epidemiology of each cancer type in South Africa. The authors also describe various research initiatives. “The important CANSA/MRC workshop held in February 2004 evaluated the future of cancer research in the country and resulted in a proposal for the creation of a multi-disciplinary, multi-organisational group called the Cancer Research Initiative of South Africa (CRISA). ... The organisation “aims to improve the health status of South Africans by promoting a national, comprehensive and sustainable cancer research system that will develop capacity and knowledge in the following areas: primary prevention, secondary prevention, treatment, palliation, and monitoring and evaluation.

CRISA has a section on Social and Public Health Research and Health Economics which intends to foster research in the following areas:

• The costing of models for prevention vs. curative care.
• A cost analysis of the burden of cancer on the SA economy (to) influence the finance budget that relates to cancer and the expenditure relating to treatment and prevention activities.
• Determining the cost of cancer treatment. What is effective medical aid coverage and how does this effect prevention. (Private vs. State)   
• The reduced cost of cancer prevention models, such as tobacco legislation, on the health care system and on the SA economy

Other resources in South Africa include:

• Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): http://www.cansa.org.za
• The Programme on Mycotoxins and Experimental Carcinogenesis (PROMEC Unit) of the South African Medical Research Council (MRC): http://www.mrc.ac.za/promec/cancer.htm
• Oesophageal Cancer Research Group: http://www.mrc.ac.za/oesophageal/oesophageal.htm
• MRC Cancer Epidemiology Research Group: http://www.mrc.ac.za/cancer/cancer.htm
• MRC Oncology Research Unit: http://www.mrc.ac.za/oncology/index.htm

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