2023-05-28 15:40:07
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Text Etelka Lehoczky
The United to End Cervical Cancer initiative in Egypt, aimed at reducing the number of cases while raising awareness and improving women’s access to preventive care, is the third winner of the saving programs scale of Rotary. Rotary International President Jennifer Jones announced the grant at the Rotary convention in Melbourne.
The four-year program in and around Cairo will vaccinate more than 30,000 girls between the ages of 9 and 15, offer cancer screenings to 10,000 women and launch an awareness campaign for nearly 4 million people.
“As a cancer survivor, I’m proud that we’re supporting this action — and especially happy that we’re taking such an important step to support women’s health,” she said. By providing preventative care, we can empower women and girls with the knowledge and resources they need to stay healthy and thrive. This program is further proof that Rotary is able to mount large-scale projects that bring lasting change. »
Cervical cancer is considered one of the most preventable cancers. It is mainly caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Ninety percent of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where cancer screenings and routine HPV vaccinations are unavailable and where stigma cultural factors may deter women from seeking care.
A 2021 report by the World Health Organization showed that less than 10% of women in Egypt had been screened for cervical cancer in the previous five years and, among those diagnosed with the disease , more than half would die.
“By raising awareness and promoting preventive care, we can save lives and create healthier communities in Egypt,” said Amal El-Sisi, professor of pediatrics at Cairo University and member of the Rotary Club of Egypt. ‘El Tahrir. “As we collect data for the first time on HPV and cervical cancer in the Greater Cairo area, we gain crucial information on its overall presence in Egypt.
In addition to raising awareness and improving medical services for women, the program will help advance the goals set by WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. This global effort aims to vaccinate 90% of girls, screen 70% of women and treat 90% of women who have precancerous or cancerous cells by 2030.
United to End Cervical Cancer was launched by the Rotary Club of El Tahrir, with the support of Rotary Clubs in and around Cairo, modeled on a presidential breast cancer initiative that made it possible to increase the number of visits by women to dispensaries and which now offers specific health care. It brought together a coalition of partners including the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, the Egyptian Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and the Sona3 El Khair Foundation.
The Rotary Foundation allocates a $2 million grant each year to a proven program that aligns with at least one of Rotary’s causes and is ready to be expanded to bring change on a larger scale. Programs are sponsored by Rotary members in collaboration with local people and partner organizations who leverage their expertise and support.
This year’s other finalist is the Digital Interactive Classrooms program. The latter aims to improve the quality of education in Panama by introducing new technologies in 230 classrooms.
Check out the recording of Jennifer Jones’ speech and other videos and photos from the convention.
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