In 2017, a grant of $29,000 was awarded to the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation (ACCF) towards its successful cervical screening, research and treatment programs in rural areas of Vietnam. ACCF has been in Vietnam since 2012 and expanded the program to 26 new communities in the Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of death amongst women in Vietnam. One of the reasons for the high incidence of this disease is the lack of regular cervical screening and access to sufficient levels of health care for many women located in remote districts.
Cervical screening clinics will be promoted by local village committees and implemented by trained local health workers. The project aims to enhance awareness and practices of cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Long-term outcomes will not just be saving lives but changing the stigma of why healthy women need to be screened for cervical cancer as well as other health issues.
Impact
• Nine times as many Vietnamese women present with vaginal infections and cervical cell abnormalities than Australian women.
• With a grant from 100 Women, the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation was able to expand its successful screening and health education program in the Hau Giang Province in the Mekong delta.
• Over 3,900 women were screened, with over 60% presenting some type of infection needing treatment. Another 300 women received treatment for cervical cell abnormalities.
• The direct impact of improved health on these women has a myriad of benefits for them, their families and community.
View their website here
