Project Title: BREAST CANCER SCREENING CAMPAIGN PROGRAMME

Proposed time: February 2008
Location: Lindi

Executing agency: Medical Women Association of Tanzania (MEWATA)

Partners: Lindi Regional, City and District Councils, ITV& Radio One
 
Background:
Every year over 21,000 Tanzanians develop various cancers and only 10% of these new cases manage to get proper care and treatment. About 80% do so when cancer is in advanced stage and not curable .  The most common cancers among females are cancer of the cervix, kaposis sarcoma and breast cancer. Among females, breast cancer ranks third after cancer of the cervix and kaposis sarcoma and it accounts 9.3% of all cancer seen at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) .

Lindi programme: 
Following successful programme in DSM, Mwanza and Mbeya it is strongly felt by the Association and the Tanzanian society, the need to expand similar community services to upcountry. The next location to which the service will be provided is Lindi region.
Criteria for selecting Lindi region is related to being in the periphery and we feel the needy women in the south should also benefit and presence of regional hospital in Lindi town. It is also expected that the programme shall benefit a large percentage of women living within the southern  zone regions namely Mtwara, and Ruvuma.

Based on the previous experience, the exercise will involve all 3 phases . MEWATA in collaboration with other partners including Lindi town and District Councils, ITV/Radio One, will prepare awareness mass media programmes and provision of health services through Government health facilities.

Goal and Beneficiaries 
The programme goal is to increase awareness among Tanzanian society on breast cancer and to give opportunity to women of all ages, access free breast cancer screening and treatment.
Direct beneficiaries of the programme will be women of all ages. The estimated target is approximately 4,000 – 8,000 clients.
Indirect beneficiaries will include the public in general, Government institutes, service providers and local NGOs and CBOs as their awareness on breast cancer and access to treatment will be increased. Service providers will benefit from the exercise since it will be strengthening their skills in how to manage breast related health problems.

Other source of funds: 
The whole programme is estimated to cost approximately Tshs. 95,000,000/=.  that would support critical needs of the exercise throughout all the three phases. Such activities include an orientation of regional and district health authorities on the campaign; one day refresher on Breast Cancer to all service providers who’ll be involved in the exercise; provision of health services including first and second line investigations; medical and non-medical supplies; administrative and logistical activities.