Rotary Around the world : Taking cancer screening on the road in India
Area of focus: Fighting disease Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Madras East, India International sponsor: Rotary Club of San Antonio, Texas, USA Total budget: $70,242 Background: India has more than 800,000 new cases of cancer every year; many people, especially in rural areas, are not aware of, cannot afford, or are afraid of screening for the disease. Late diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer leads to high mortality rates. Scope: Rotarians identified a significant public health problem in their area, then found a strong cooperating organization to work with. They helped design a special vehicle to bring screenings to women in rural areas and mobilized their networks to ensure that the mobile unit would reach as many women as possible. Impact: 3,650 women were screened during the project. Top tip: Cooperate with an organization that is already experienced in the work your club plans to focus on. Equipping a specialized medical center in New Y...