Chile expands universal cancer screening to 345 municipalities

Chile's Ministry of Health is rolling out a National Strategy for Universal Cancer Screening, extending early‑detection services from an initial 28 pilot communes to 345 municipalities across the country. The program, announced by Subsecretary of Health Networks Julio Montt, targets colorectal, gastric and cervical cancers using non‑invasive tools such as the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), Helicobacter pylori testing and HPV detection.

Implementation will begin gradually in the second half of the year, with regional health services like the Servicio de Salud del Reloncaví already piloting FIT‑based screening for adults over 40 in Fresia, Llanquihue and Maullín, and establishing algorithms for risk stratification. Funding includes 1,020 FIT exams, a gastropanel reader and 600 rapid‑test kits for H. pylori, supported by a collaboration agreement with the municipality of Puerto Montt. Municipal leaders have welcomed the initiative as a step toward reducing cancer mortality, which currently ranks as Chile’s second leading cause of death.