Rotary with NCCP fights cancer through prevention and early detection
The Rotary Club of Colombo, over 15 years ago, joined hands with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) of the Ministry of Health and launched the Cancer Prevention and Early Detection project. The project completed 15 years in 2019.
The National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Centre in Colombo, located at 516 Elvitigala Mawatha Narahepita, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is the only national facility, dedicated to screening, early detection and prevention of cancer, offering its services entirely free of charge. The present Narahenpita Centre is a landmark in the area and easily accessible by public transport. The centre is supported by leading telecommunications provider Dialog Axiata PLC, the corporate partner in this project.
Through the generosity of major donor Rotary Club of Birmingham Alabama USA, as well as other local and overseas donors and funding through a global grant from Rotary International with partner clubs Rotary Club of Birmingham Alabama, Nuremberg- Sigena in Germany and Zurich-shital in Switzerland, the centre now offers screening and early detection primarily for breast cancer, cervical and oral cancer as well as counselling, education and awareness programmes for prevention. These are carried out by a team of doctors and nurses from the NCCP.
The focus is on breast cancer through mammography screening, this having the highest incidence of all cancers. Screening for cervical cancer, which has the second highest of cancers in females, is carried out through HPV/DNA testing and Colposcopy screening. Oral cancer, the highest incidence in males is screened through a fully-equipped dental unit. A Health Education Unit handles the prevention activities such as social awareness programmes and education.
A mobile screening and social awareness programme is also carried out throughout the country to reach outlying remote areas. The project has also reached out to the regions to make screening and early detection available to those communities, with the setting up of a breast cancer screening unit at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital in 2016. To date, the project has screened almost 80,000 individuals with over 18000 showing symptoms requiring further investigation.
The club is embarking on a further historic milestone in the fight against cancer, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, for the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030. This ambitious and far-reaching initiative, which will make Sri Lanka free of cervical cancer, is planned to reach out to all parts off the island and screen women in the 35 and 45-year age group through HPV/DNA testing with equipment donated by The Rotary Foundation global grant and supported with public awareness and assisting in training of healthcare personnel whilst reaching out to remote areas through two mobile screening buses.