Kapa3 Cancer Patient Support Center and the USTEP Institute announce the launch of their strategic partnership

The Kapa3 Cancer Patient Support Center and the USTEP Institute announce the launch of their strategic partnership, aimed at providing meaningful support to cancer patients and promoting equal opportunities in scientific, social, and educational levels.

The partnership was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed in Athens on May 26, 2026, by Evangelia Bista, Co-founder and Head of Development and Operations at Kapa3, and Vasileios Stavrou, Co-founder and Scientific Director of the USTEP Institute.

As part of the collaboration, the two organizations will develop joint initiatives that include:

Organizing workshops and conferences focused on patient education, improving the quality of care, and strengthening the relationship of trust between patients and healthcare professionals.

The implementation of information and awareness campaigns on prevention, symptom management, and combating myths and social stigma surrounding cancer.

Collaboration on national and European programs aimed at developing innovative initiatives and actions with a social impact.

Conducting joint research and disseminating the results at the national and European levels.

This partnership reaffirms the two organizations’ commitment to actively contribute to the creation of a more supportive and inclusive environment for people living with cancer, by enhancing access to knowledge, information, and social empowerment.

The Memorandum of Cooperation is valid for one year, with the option to renew upon mutual written agreement by both parties.

Confirmation of AMKA for Child and Parent

A major institutional development is set to simplify the lives of cancer patients and their families by eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. The new ministerial decision introduces digital proof of kinship for the dispensing of High-Cost Medications (FCM). The Kapa3 team presents a detailed overview of all the changes affecting insured individuals’ daily access to their essential treatments.

A Digital Leap Toward Equal Access to Care

The new decision provides for the launch of the specialized online service “AMKA Verification for Child-Parent.” This service is directly integrated into the “PLATFORM FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF PHARMACY-ISSUE MEDICATIONS BY PRIVATE PHARMACIES/EOPYY PHARMACIES” information system.

For the people Kapa3 serves every day, this development translates into an immediate reduction in bureaucracy and hassle. From now on, the verification of family relationships will be performed automatically, ensuring that vulnerable groups and their caregivers do not waste valuable time waiting for approval of their necessary treatment regimens.

This upgrade is a matter of respect and dignity for the patient who is fighting their own battle. At Kapa3, we continue to stand by every cancer patient and their family, ensuring that information and care reach those who truly need them—quickly and easily. Because when it comes to health, every minute we gain is precious.

What’s Changing in Patients’ Daily Lives

Until now, in order to obtain approval for the dispensing or delivery of an expensive medication for a child or dependent, it was often necessary to submit additional documents (such as family status certificates) or in-person verification of the parent-child relationship.

What sets Decision 3 of this Government Gazette apart is the following:

Automatic Data Matching: It digitally connects information systems in real time. The EOPYY platform now automatically “reads” the relationship between a parent’s and child’s AMKA numbers through the Interoperability Center.

Immediate Approval of Requests: The parent or close relative logs into the digital “FYK DISPENSATION PLATFORM” using their own credentials and can submit the request immediately, without the process being held up due to a lack of the child’s identification.

Flexibility in Pickup: It facilitates faster scheduling of appointments at EOPYY pharmacies or pickup from private pharmacies, dramatically reducing wait times for vulnerable patients

Reducing bureaucracy is not merely a digital upgrade; it is a matter of respect and dignity for the patient who is fighting their own battle. At Kapa3, we continue to stand by every cancer patient and their family, ensuring that information and care reach those who truly need them—quickly and easily. Because when it comes to health, every minute we save is

New Joint Ministerial Decision on the 2026 Aerotherapy Allowance: A Detailed Guide for KAPA3 Beneficiaries

At the Cancer Patient Guidance Center—KAPA3, we remain committed to providing accurate and timely information to cancer patients and their families regarding the rights and social benefits to which they are entitled. With the aim of making your daily life easier and ensuring you have full access to beneficial legislative provisions, we present a comprehensive guide to the granting of the air therapy allowance, in accordance with the recent Joint Ministerial Decision (No. 89399 EX 2026) published in the Government Gazette, Issue B, No. 3295, dated June 11, 2026.

The air therapy allowance applies to the summer season of 2026.

The amount is set at 250.00 euros and will be paid as a lump sum to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts on July 10, 2026.

The amount is unseizable and fully exempt from any tax or withholding.

Who Are the Beneficiaries

The benefit is granted to disabled retirees of the State and the e-EFKA. Specifically, beneficiaries are those who fall into the following categories:

a) Pensioners referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 1 of Article 6 of Legislative Decree 4605/1966.

b) Pensioners under subparagraph (c) of the aforementioned paragraph 1 of Article 6 of Legislative Decree 4605/1966, who, according to

the opinion of the competent Health Committee for the years 2020 through 2026, have been deemed to be in need of this allowance and belong to the following categories of retirees:

Disabled officers under Law No. 2588/1921 and Law No. 875/1979 on military retirement.
Disabled officers under Law No. 362/1943.

iii. Disabled enlisted personnel under Article 1 of Legislative Decree 1044/1971, as amended by Article 1 of

Law 1043/1980.

Disabled members of the former Municipal Police who were subject to Legislative Decree 330/1947.

Disabled members of the Security Forces under Law 1579/1950 and those disabled members of the Coast Guard,

the Fire Department, and the Agricultural Police who are treated as equivalent to them.

Disabled members of the National Resistance under Provisional Act 1855/1951, Legislative Decree 412/1970, and Law 1543/1985.

vii. Persons with disabilities under Law 1370/1944 (who sustained their disabilities during peacetime while in service and as a result thereof, and

receive a disability pension).

viii. Persons with disabilities from the anti-dictatorship struggle under Law 1543/1985.

Disabled civilians under Law 812/1943.

Disabled civilians under Law 1863/1989.

c) Civilian retirees who sustained disabilities as a result of their service (Decision of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security No.

754.6/117/3912/March 24, 1969) and

d) OSE retirees who left the service and are receiving a pension due to tuberculosis.

3. Who Is Exempt from Payment

According to the Government Gazette, the following categories are not eligible for the air therapy allowance:

Recipients of other benefits: Those who have received or are set to receive a corresponding air therapy allowance from any other source (such as public entities, private entities, public benefit organizations, etc.).

Spa Therapy Beneficiaries: Those who have been deemed eligible for spa therapy for the year 2026 by the Directorate for Reserve Combatants, Veterans, War Victims, and War Disabled (DEPATHA).

New Pensioners: Citizens whose pension is payable after September 30, 2026, or whose order for registration in the Pensioner Registers is issued after October 31, 2026.

What to Do in Case of Non-Payment

If you are eligible but the benefit does not appear in your account by the scheduled date of July 10, 2026, the law entitles you to file a retroactive claim.

You may submit a request by December 31, 2026, at the latest, to the following agencies (depending on your category):

To Section E of the Income Policy Directorate of the General Accounting Office (p. 2) .

To the General Directorate of Public Sector Pensions of e-EFKA (p. 2).

You can contact the Kapa3 team

13 Kostis Palamas Street, 3rd floor (Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

Contact Numbers: 210 5221424 & 6906265170.

Email: info@kapa3.gr

Participation in CA21152 – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care

Digital Health and Cancer Survivorship: Kapa3 at the INE-CSC 2026 Conference in Coimbra

The Cancer Guidance Center – Kapa3 participated in the INE-CSC 2026 Conference, part of CA21152 – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care (INE-CSC), held on 25–26 May 2026 at the Faculty of Medicine (Polo III), University of Coimbra, in Coimbra, Portugal.

The conference was held under the theme “The Next Chapter – Empowering Individuals, Families, and Society for Cancer Survivorship & Supportive Care”, highlighting the need for new approaches to cancer survivorship, supportive care and the translation of innovation into real-world impact for people living with and beyond cancer, their families and society.

Kapa3’s presence in Coimbra represents another important step in its European engagement and in its ongoing effort to connect everyday experience in supporting cancer patients in Greece with European knowledge, research, digital innovation and health policy.

A key highlight was the participation in a round table discussion on facilitators and barriers to the implementation of digital health tools in oncology. The discussion was co-organised by Aristea Kyriaki Ladas and Christos Frantzidis and brought together voices from different European countries and organisations, including representatives from Kapa3, Acreditar Portugal, Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro, ORCO / Madrid Regional Ministry of Health, as well as participants from Poland, Latvia and the United Kingdom.

Among the participants in the round table were Yannis Kontogiorgis and Despoina Pistiolis from Kapa3, Greece, contributing to the European dialogue on digital health, oncology navigation and the participatory development of solutions that respond to the real needs of patients and caregivers.

One of the key messages of the discussion was that digital innovation in oncology is not only a technological challenge. It is also a matter of policy, implementation, equity, trust and accessibility.

For digital tools to make a meaningful difference in cancer care and survivorship, they cannot remain isolated applications or pilot projects. They need to become part of real care pathways, be supported by appropriate policy environments, connect with interdisciplinary practice and be evaluated in terms of effectiveness, implementation readiness, accessibility, equity, sustainability and value.

The discussion also highlighted that digital tools must be designed around the real needs of patients and survivors, not only around technical possibilities. Accessibility across countries, languages, healthcare systems and levels of digital and health literacy must be built in from the beginning.

The role of patient organisations and cancer support communities was also identified as essential. These organisations can act as a bridge between technological innovation and the everyday reality of people affected by cancer. They understand the questions, barriers, fears and needs that are often not fully captured by formal care systems.

For Kapa3, this participation is directly linked to the development of Myrto, its digital health and rights navigator, designed as a tool for empowerment, guidance and support for cancer patients and their caregivers.

Myrto is not approached as a simple information tool. It is being designed as a participatory intervention built around the real needs of people with lived experience of cancer. It is connected to access to rights, social benefits, services, practical guidance and human escalation whenever needed.

The Coimbra experience strengthened the view that digital health must be human-centred, accessible, trustworthy and integrated into a broader ecosystem of care. Technology can meaningfully support cancer care only when it is designed with participation, trust, clear purpose and an equity-oriented approach.

Cancer survivorship is not only about completing treatment. It is about quality of life, mental health, social reintegration, work, family, everyday life, access to services and the feeling that no person is left alone after diagnosis or treatment.

Through its participation in European networks such as INE-CSC, Kapa3 continues to contribute to the dialogue on more equitable, participatory and person-centred cancer care. Care that uses technology without losing sight of the human being at its centre.

The future of cancer support will not depend only on better digital tools, but on better collaboration between patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, technology partners, patient organisations and policymakers.

For Kapa3, this is at the heart of its mission: transforming knowledge into action, technology into support, and the voice of patients into services that respond to their real needs.

More information: INE-CSC – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care.More information:
https://inecancersurvivorship.com

Alpha Bank and Its Employees Support Kapa3 through the Match for Good Initiative

The Cancer Guidance Center – Kapa3 warmly thanks Alpha Bank and its employees for their meaningful support through the Match for Good initiative, through which Alpha Bank doubled the contribution of its employees.

Through this initiative, six non-profit organisations from across Greece received financial support during a special event held at Alpha Bank’s headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the organisations. The event was hosted by the Chairman of Alpha Bank’s Board of Directors, Mr. Dimitris Tsitsiragos, and the Chief Human Resources Officer, Ms. Fragiski Melissa.

Mr. Dimitris Tsitsiragos highlighted that the Match for Good initiative puts into practice Alpha Bank’s commitment to consistently support organisations that create a positive social impact. He underlined that when the individual contribution of employees is combined with the Bank’s support, it becomes a collective force with tangible results.

Ms. Fragiski Melissa noted that Match for Good reflects the Bank’s new culture in practice, giving employees an active role in selecting, participating in and supporting initiatives with social value.

Kapa3 was represented by Ms. Evangeli Bista, co-founder of the Organisation, and Ms. Despoina Chrysostomidou, collaborating psychologist. During the event, they had the opportunity to present Kapa3’s work and discuss the social impact that can be created when corporate responsibility meets the active participation of employees.

For all of us at Kapa3, this support is particularly meaningful. It strengthens our daily effort to stand beside people with lived experience of cancer, as well as their families and caregivers, offering guidance, information, support in accessing rights and services, and practical empowerment tools.

Kapa3 acts as a navigation and support organisation for cancer patients, bridging the gap between need and information, between rights and real access. For many people, especially those living outside major urban centres, the challenge is not only the disease itself. It is uncertainty, bureaucracy, lack of information about available rights, financial burden, transportation difficulties, psychosocial pressure and the need for a reliable companion.

Through initiatives like this, social contribution gains multiplying power and becomes real support for those who need it. The support of Alpha Bank and its employees strengthens Kapa3’s mission: ensuring that no person is left alone when facing cancer, searching for information, navigating procedures or claiming a right they are entitled to.

Health is not only a medical act. It is access, information, dignity, social care and meaningful presence. Every contribution to Kapa3 becomes more guidance, more information, more empowerment and more care for people and families going through a difficult and demanding journey.

We warmly thank Alpha Bank and its employees for their trust, choice and support of Kapa3’s work.

Because when giving becomes collective, it can meaningfully change people’s everyday lives.

20260310 Match For Good Programme Part2 Alpha Bank Via Solid Havas / Thalia Galanopoulou

Match for Good – Alpha Bank (1)

Mapping the efficiency of cancer care in Greece: findings from the All.Can Greece report

Cancer care efficiency in Greece remains one of the most complex and pressing challenges for the Greek health system — not only in terms of its clinical burden, but also in how care is organized around the patient.

With approximately 63,000 new cancer cases diagnosed annually and more than 32,000 cancer-related deaths each year, Greece faces a steadily increasing oncological burden. Projections suggest that cancer incidence will rise by around 23% by 2040, further intensifying pressure on health services.

Against this backdrop, All.Can Greece has published a landmark report titled “Mapping the Efficiency of Cancer Care in Greece”, based on the pilot implementation of the All.Can Action Guide for Efficient Cancer Care.

Rather than simply describing the current situation, the report aims to measure it — identifying where efficiency is lost across the cancer care pathway and where targeted reforms could make the greatest impact.

Cancer care efficiency in Greece: delays in care delivery

One of the most critical findings of the report relates to delays in the patient journey.

Despite the existence of modern infrastructure and highly specialized oncology centres, significant delays persist between initial suspicion, diagnosis, and the start of treatment.

These delays are not the result of a single bottleneck, but of systemic fragmentation:

fragmented referral pathways,
limited coordination between levels of care,
and the absence of standardized clinical protocols.

A key structural weakness is the lack of systematic monitoring of waiting times and time-to-treatment indicators. As a result, inefficiencies remain partially invisible to the system itself, limiting the ability to implement targeted improvements.

Fragmentation across the care continuum

The report highlights a broader issue of fragmentation in cancer care delivery.

The patient journey from primary care to specialist oncology services is often not clearly structured or consistently coordinated. Referral pathways depend heavily on individual practice rather than standardized national protocols.

A major gap is the absence of structured patient navigation services. In practice, this means that patients and families are often left to navigate a complex system on their own, increasing delays and adding unnecessary psychological burden.

At the same time, multidisciplinary tumor boards represent a positive development, supporting collaborative clinical decision-making across specialties. However, systematic monitoring of their performance remains limited.

The development of Comprehensive Cancer Centers is identified as a promising step forward, although further regulatory strengthening and clearer governance structures are still needed to maximize their impact.

Patient-centered care: progress with remaining gaps

Greece has made notable progress in collecting Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs), reflecting a growing commitment to integrating patient perspectives into care delivery.

However, patients’ access to their own clinical data remains limited, restricting their ability to actively participate in decision-making processes.

In addition, patient education and shared decision-making are not yet systematically embedded across the health system.

Another important gap concerns survivorship care. As cancer survival rates improve, the lack of structured long-term follow-up pathways leaves many patients without continuous support after active treatment ends.

Key policy directions

The report outlines several strategic priorities for improving cancer care efficiency in Greece:

Development of a comprehensive national cancer strategy with clear targets and governance mechanisms
Strengthening coordination across all levels of care
Implementation of standardized clinical pathways with defined time-to-treatment and quality indicators
Investment in oncology workforce capacity, particularly in shortage specialties
Establishment of structured patient navigation programmes
Acceleration of Comprehensive Cancer Center development
Systematic use of health data for monitoring performance and accountability
Greater patient engagement through PROMs, PREMs, and shared decision-making

Conclusion: a system with strong foundations but limited integration

Greece has many of the essential building blocks for a high-performing cancer care system — including infrastructure, clinical expertise, and emerging digital health capabilities.

However, the key challenge lies not in the existence of these components, but in their integration.

The All.Can Greece report highlights a system that is still operating in silos: strong individual elements that do not yet function as a fully connected care pathway.

In oncology, this lack of integration is not merely an organizational issue. It directly affects timeliness, patient experience, and ultimately outcomes.

The opportunity now lies in moving from fragmented capacity to coordinated care — where patients no longer have to bridge the gaps between system components themselves.

Source: Mapping-the-Efficiency-of-Cancer-Care-in-Greece-FINAL

Text/adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

Kapa3 and Doctorhomie: Joining Forces to Support Cancer Patients

Kapa3 is pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the digital home-care platform Doctorhomie. The Kapa3–Doctorhomie collaboration aims to strengthen support for cancer patients and their families across Greece.

Since its establishment, the Cancer Guidance Center – Kapa3 has been actively working to provide meaningful guidance to people living with cancer and their caregivers, with a strong focus on access to benefits and services, information about patients’ rights, and psychosocial support. Through Mobile Units, digital tools and educational initiatives, the organization promotes patient-centred care, creates channels of communication with beneficiaries and strengthens their participation in decisions concerning their health. Kapa3’s philosophy is grounded in building partnerships, leveraging technology and fostering collaborations with organizations that share the same vision.

Doctorhomie, on the other hand, is redefining home-based care in Greece by offering an integrated digital platform that connects patients with physicians, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and caregivers. Through tools that enhance monitoring and management of care at home, Doctorhomie contributes to strengthening Primary Health Care, promoting prevention, supporting families and improving both the safety and quality of care.

The new collaboration between Kapa3 and Doctorhomie opens opportunities for joint initiatives at multiple levels, including:

the organization of workshops, conferences and webinars aimed at informing patients, promoting quality of care and strengthening trust between patients and their treating physicians, particularly within the context of home-based care and Primary Health Care,
awareness and information campaigns focusing on prevention, the fight against myths and stigma, and a better understanding of patients’ symptoms and needs,
participation and collaboration in national and European programmes that promote innovation in oncology care and strengthen digital tools for patients and caregivers,
joint research initiatives on topics of shared interest, with the aim of supporting scientific evidence, disseminating knowledge and contributing to health policy development at both national and European level.

This partnership is founded on the shared belief that patient care begins with information and support, is strengthened through education and collaboration, and evolves through the combined use of technology and patient-centred practices.

Kapa3 and Doctorhomie are committed to making the most of this collaboration in order to strengthen patients’ participation in decisions regarding their health, reduce inequalities and provide timely and effective support to those who need it.

With a shared vision of quality and accessible care, Kapa3 and Doctorhomie are opening a new chapter of cooperation in support of cancer patients in Greece.

Download our Press Release in pdf or word

Launch of Free MELODIC Training Programme – Greece

We are pleased to announce the launch of the free eight-week online training programme implemented in Greece within the framework of the European project MELODIC, in which Kapa3 participates as one of 13 partner organisations from 6 European countries.

The programme is addressed to doctors, nurses, other health professionals, and social care professionals working in oncology.

MELODIC is an international collaboration aimed at strengthening mental health support for young adults with cancer and their families, promoting high-quality, holistic oncology care.

Through the programme, participants will have the opportunity to develop skills in:

Assessing mental health needs using validated and evidence-based tools
Supporting families and caregivers
Delivering high-quality psychosocial care
Interprofessional collaboration
Sustaining personal and professional wellbeing

The programme is divided into an asynchronous part (on the Moodle platform), which participants can complete at their own pace, and four contact lessons, constituting the synchronous part via Zoom. Upon completion, participants will receive 5 ECTS credits and a certificate of completion.

Sessions will take place from March to April 2026.

The contribution of health professionals is crucial for the accurate assessment of mental health needs of young adults with cancer and their families, as well as for delivering high-quality, person-centred care. The MELODIC programme strengthens their skills, promoting collaboration, responsibility, and sustainable professional practice in oncology.

For further information, please contact:
Ifiyenia Anastasiou
email: ifi.k3team@gmail.com | phone: 690.62.65.170

World Cancer Day: United by Our Uniqueness

Every year on 4 February, World Cancer Day invites us to reflect on one of the greatest challenges of modern public health.

The goal is not only to confront cancer as a disease, but to face it with knowledge, empathy and shared responsibility. Because cancer touches millions of lives in countless ways, yet it does not define who we are. We are more than a diagnosis, more than a number.

World Cancer Day was established in 2000, following the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. It is a core element of the Paris Charter Against Cancer — a global commitment to advancing research, prevention, patient care, awareness and international mobilisation. Since then, the day has served as a reminder that addressing cancer requires long-term vision, cooperation and consistency.

This year’s message, “United by Unique”, highlights a fundamental truth: cancer is not only a medical event.

It is a deeply personal experience. Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story — stories of fear and loss, but also of resilience, care, love and healing. Every story counts.

Cancer Today: Facts and Challenges

Cancer remains one of the most significant public health challenges in Europe and in Greece. Data from international and European organisations underline not only the scale of the disease, but also the persistent inequalities in prevention, early detection and access to care.

In Europe, approximately 2.7 million new cancer diagnoses are recorded each year, with around 1.3 million deaths, while the economic burden exceeds €93 billion annually. In Greece, cancer is the second leading cause of death, affecting thousands of families and carrying profound social and psychological consequences.

Progress, Prevention and Hope

At the same time, scientific progress offers well-founded reasons for optimism.

Prevention and early detection remain decisive factors. Screening programmes, vaccination, healthy lifestyle choices and access to reliable information can significantly reduce the risk of certain cancers and improve treatment outcomes. In this context, knowledge is not merely information — it is power and a fundamental right.

Advances in cancer management are equally important. Personalised medicine, targeted therapies, immunotherapy and improved management of treatment side effects contribute not only to increased survival rates, but also to a better quality of life for people living with and beyond cancer. Information and education are key tools for both prevention and empowerment.

Mental health plays a crucial role as well. Diagnosis and treatment are often accompanied by anxiety, fear, sadness and emotional exhaustion — affecting not only patients, but also their caregivers. Psychosocial support, counselling services and empowerment groups are essential components of holistic cancer care, helping to preserve dignity and quality of life.

Information, research and mental health care are core pillars of modern cancer management. Indicatively, you may explore the following Kapa3 articles:

Empowerment and Action

World Cancer Day is not just a day of awareness. It is a call to action:

to speak openly about prevention and our health,
to support people living with cancer and their caregivers,
to seek reliable information and evidence-based sources,
to advocate for equal access to care and psychological support,
to remember that no one should face cancer alone.

Because our strength lies in solidarity — and in respecting the uniqueness of every individual.

United by our uniqueness.

References:

World Health Organization (WHO) – Cancer
https://www.who.int/health-topics/cancer

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
https://www.iarc.who.int

Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) – World Cancer Day
https://www.worldcancerday.org

European Commission – Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
https://health.ec.europa.eu/eu-policy/health-strategies/europes-beating-cancer-plan_en

European Cancer Information System (ECIS)
https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu

Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) – Health Data
https://www.statistics.gr/en/statistics/-/publication/SHE15/

Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) – Cancer & Public Health
https://eody.gov.gr/

Greek Ministry of Health – Prevention & Screening
https://www.moh.gov.gr/articles/prevention-screening

Text/adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

International Universal Health Coverage Day – December 12

International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day is observed every year on December 12 to remind us that access to quality, affordable healthcare is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of just and sustainable societies. The United Nations established this day to strengthen global commitment so that all people, everywhere, can access the health services they need without financial hardship. (WHO)

Statistics

Universal health coverage is not just a goal. It is a central element of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Despite progress in recent decades, the reality remains challenging. Approximately 4.6 billion people worldwide still lack access to essential health services. At the same time, 2.1 billion face financial hardship in accessing care. Finally 1.6 billion pushed into poverty due to health expenditures.

These statistics demonstrate that universal coverage remains far from fully achieved, with significant inequalities between countries and within societies: poorer populations, rural residents, people with lower education, and other vulnerable groups face much greater barriers to healthcare. (WHO – World Bank Report)

Situation in Greece

In Greece, although universal coverage exists in principle through the National Health System, access to care is not always equitable or complete. Only a small percentage of citizens report high satisfaction with service availability, while around 12.1% of people have unmet healthcare needs, a rate significantly higher than the OECD average. (OECD)

Out-of-pocket healthcare expenses particularly affect lower-income households. Nearly nearly 10% of households facing catastrophic health spending, forcing families to sacrifice essentials such as food or housing. (WHO – Health Care Greece)

These inequalities are not just numbers—they have real consequences for quality of life. For cancer patients, universal coverage means timely diagnosis, access to treatments, continuous monitoring, psychosocial support, and palliative care. Lack of comprehensive, accessible care can worsen disease outcomes and increase psychological and financial burden for patients and their families.

At Kapa3, we strive to ensure that no cancer patient or their loved ones feel alone. Through educational initiatives, experiential programs, psychosocial support, and guidance materials, we advocate for healthcare access that respects human dignity, life, and real needs.

Universal Health Coverage Day is not just a date—it is a call to action for broader access, reduced inequalities, and genuine support for all. Together, we can make meaningful change.

Text/adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3