Russia plans sharp cut to cancer care funding in 2027 draft budget as defence spending rises

Russia's draft federal budget for 2027 proposes a steep reduction in funding for the national cancer programme, according to the supporting material. The programme would fall from 44.9 billion roubles to 3.87 billion roubles if the draft is approved, a cut that would leave only a fraction of current support in place. The proposal comes as defence spending reaches its highest share of the budget since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Sponsored

The figures indicate that federal cancer spending would be reduced far more sharply than in previous years. The programme received 148.5 billion roubles in 2025, meaning the proposed 2027 allocation would represent a drop of roughly 38-fold over two years. Funding is then projected to rise to 5.76 billion roubles in 2028 and 12.78 billion roubles in 2029, but both amounts would still remain well below the current level.

The national cancer project has previously financed diagnostic equipment, cancer centres and early screening programmes. Under the new budget plan, the remaining money would mainly go to diagnostic and radiology equipment, while specialised units in smaller towns and rural areas are expected to face cuts. Officials have said some costs may be shifted to the compulsory health insurance system, known as OMS, and to other budget lines rather than removed entirely.

The proposed change matters because it points to a wider reordering of state priorities at a time of pressure on public services. Moving more of the burden to OMS and regional budgets could make access to treatment more dependent on the financial strength of individual regions. That would likely deepen the gap between major federal cancer centres and outlying areas, where services are already more limited.

Sponsored

The budget proposal also comes against a backdrop of rising out-of-pocket spending by patients. A study by the NGO Movement Against Cancer found that between 2019 and 2025, patients bought about one in every six or seven packs of cancer medicines themselves. In 2025, household spending on anti-tumour drugs rose from 8.8 billion to 11.4 billion roubles, while the number of packs bought independently increased from five million to 5.8 million.

The study said around 94% of those medicines are on the list of essential drugs and should be provided free of charge. Its authors linked the spending to supply disruptions and gaps in provision rather than to patients choosing more expensive treatments, noting that most of the purchases were generics. What remains unclear is how much of the proposed federal cut would be offset by OMS and regional funding, and whether those systems can absorb the extra cost without reducing access to care.

The draft budget still needs to be approved, and the final shape of cancer funding may change before it takes effect.

#Russia #cancercare #draftbudget #defencespending #OMS

Sponsored