Cyprus president announces monthly allowance for vulnerable breast cancer patients

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has announced two new support measures for cancer patients. Vulnerable breast cancer patients will receive a monthly allowance during treatment and for up to 12 months after it ends, while residents of remote areas in Nicosia district will be given free transport to oncology centres.

The president announced the new measures on Saturday, 3 October, at the 22nd Pink Figures march, held at the site of the old Nicosia General Hospital. The march is organised every year by Europa Donna Cyprus, the Cypriot branch of the European breast cancer coalition. Christodoulides said both measures respond to its recommendations and have been backed by the government.

“The most important thing, as I promised at my very first march, is to announce new measures every time,” the president said. He stressed that diagnosis and the quality and speed of treatment should not depend on where a patient lives or on their financial situation.

Christodoulides also spoke about how cancer treatment does not end in hospital: people need rehabilitation, psychological support and help returning to work and everyday life. According to him, these areas will be handled by Cyprus’s newly established National Cancer Institute and its board, covering everything from prevention and early diagnosis to research and post-treatment follow-up.

The amount of the allowance, the criteria for identifying patients as vulnerable, and the launch dates for the programmes have not yet been announced.