Cancer care for displaced children from Venezuela.

Abstract

Venezuela, the country with the largest oil reserves, has ridden the wave of oil prices—at times becoming one of the richest countries in Latin America. During the 1960s, as the economy was booming, it attracted migrants from all over the world; around 15% of the population was foreign-born, mainly Europeans. During the 1970s and 1980s, migrants from Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Ecuador arrived in Venezuela, fleeing from political and social unrests in their home countries. The collapse of oil prices in the 1980s, together with successive political crises and increasing corruption, led to a progressive end of wealth, a contracted economy, and inflation. In 1999, the constitution guaranteed the right to health and foresaw a decentralised system that would reduce health inequities; unfortunately, no health law was ever passed to enforce it. Instead, the health system was nationalised and became characterised by inefficiency and rampant corruption, leading to a rapid deterioration of services and massive drug shortages. In the past 10 years, Venezuela's health-care system collapsed and became one of the most expensive and inefficient systems in Latin America, with families expected to pay for more than 75% of the costs. A report on the State of Cancer Care in Venezuela, published in 2019, offered a bleak picture of the situation for adults with cancer—the country only has around 10% of the drugs needed for their adequate care. Venezuela: aid needed to ease health crisisVenezuela's health system is collapsing and experts say external assistance is needed to ease severe shortages of drugs and other medical supplies. Barbara Fraser and Hildegard Willer report. Full-Text PDF Educational attainment in displaced children with cancerSupporting the health of displaced people is a challenge shared by the health system in the location to which they are displaced, non-governmental organisations, and the international community. This challenge is magnified when the host country is struggling with violence, poverty, and an unstable government. The COVID-19 pandemic has added further strain to an already difficult situation, restricting movement both within and between countries. Since 2014, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has rolled out capacity-building projects in countries hosting displaced people, with the aim of providing access to health care for non-communicable diseases. Full-Text PDF