Cancer Awareness & Detection camps for women (3) Expressions of interest for HIFA Project on Cancer in 2025 (5)

5 February, 2025

Dear Balkrishna and HIFA members,

Thank you for highlighting such an important issue. The challenge of late-stage cancer diagnosis among women from low- and middle-income groups is a concern we also address through our work at the Science to Serve the Community (SCISCO) Foundation in Colombia (www.scisco.co).

At SCISCO, we are committed to improving cancer prevention and early detection, particularly among indigenous communities. Our initiatives focus on:

- *Community-Led Awareness Programs:* We work closely with indigenous leaders to develop culturally sensitive educational materials on cancer risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of early screening.

- *Screening and Prevention Strategies:* We support primary and secondary prevention efforts, including HPV vaccination advocacy and access to cervical cancer screening methods such as VIA and HPV testing.

- *Overcoming Barriers to Care:* We identify and address systemic barriers—such as geographic inaccessibility, mistrust in healthcare systems, and economic constraints—that prevent early diagnosis and treatment.

- *Collaborative Research:* We conduct research on sociocultural perceptions of cancer and access to healthcare, aiming to generate evidence-based solutions tailored to indigenous populations.

We are highly interested in contributing to this initiative and exploring how we can collaborate with HIFA and other stakeholders. We believe that a HIFA Project on Cancer would be an excellent platform to expand efforts on healthcare education, access, and policy recommendations for vulnerable populations. Please let us know how we can be involved and support this initiative further.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Best regards,

Sincerely,

--

<https://www.scisco.co/>

*Francisco Javier Bonila-Escobar*

Fundador y CEO / Founder & CEO

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