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Breast Cancer Awareness
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The Rotary Club of St. Vincent has launched its first major Global Grant-funded project in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, with input from several Rotary Clubs in Taiwan across 11 districts.

This Global Grant, funded by Rotary International with financial contributions from, among others, the Rotary Club of Taipei Prosperity was granted on June 30, 2022 in the amount of USD$183,183.

“When Taiwan Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Peter Sha-Li Lan presented the project opportunity in September 2021 on behalf of the Rotary Taiwan family, the Rotary Club of St. Vincent in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Taipei Prosperity and the MOHWE immediately sprang into action,” a press release said.

The release said that research suggests that with early detection, breast cancer patients have an increased likelihood of survival rate. Therefore, early detection, education and increased access to screening services are among our best tools in our fight against breast cancer.

“With this in mind, the stakeholders transformed ideas into action through the development and submission of a project proposal for increased access to breast cancer education and screening services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).”

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Led by President Daniel Campbell and Immediate Past President Janelle Allen, the project team will drive the implementation of this Breast Cancer Awareness Project over two years, with results forecast to be measurable in the medium to long term, through a reduction in the incidences of breast cancer-related deaths as a result of early detection through increased education, awareness and regular, accessible screening.

Through this two-part grant funded project, the Rotary Club of St. Vincent and the MOHWE will implement an ongoing awareness and education campaign which extends beyond the traditional breast cancer awareness period in October, engaging the public to reduce the stigma associated with breast screenings.

Additionally, the Rotary Club of St. Vincent has purchased and will present to the MOHWE three mobile ultrasound screening units, which are expected to arrive in SVG by January 2023.

Ambassador Lan

Thanks to the generous contribution of the Government of Taiwan, a capacity-building component is also included, as Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has donated US$40,000 towards the training of our local medical personnel in the use and interpretation of data produced by these units.

These mobile units will increase access to screening services for residents of rural and hard-to-reach areas, particularly in the Grenadines.

With easier access to primary screening services, the Rotary Club of St. Vincent hopes to champion the cause that early detection indeed saves lives, and to encourage a culture of routine screening as a regular aspect of women’s and men’s health. These services will be available at no cost to residents.

Rotary International is a non-profit humanitarian service organisation comprising over 1.4 million members in over 46,000 clubs worldwide.

Rotarians are committed to advancing good in the world through goodwill and the execution of projects which benefit humanity and enhance quality of life.

They focus on seven major areas in our charitable work: the environment; peace and conflict resolution; disease prevention and treatment; maternal and child health; water, sanitation and hygiene; economic and community development; basic education and literacy.

This project encompasses three of these areas; economic and community development, disease prevention and treatment, and basic education and literacy.

“Through the work of Rotary International and the selfless donations of resources and talents of other Rotarians and friends of Rotary worldwide to the Rotary Foundation, we are able to execute projects such as these for the benefit of our local communities,” the press release said.