In Indonesia, cervical and breast cancer together are the most common forms of cancer among women. There is limited treatment available, and as a result many women die an unnecessary death. Early detection is vital and can keep the most vulnerable, poor and uneducated women healthy.
Project successfully introduced
Meanwhile, FCF's Female Cancer Program (FCP) in collaboration with our experienced partners at the University of Indonesia, the Indonesian Cancer Foundation and various women's organizations has been successfully introduced and embedded in local and national structures by our local partner Female Cancer Program. With the project, an important quality effort has been made to educate and screen women for the early stages of cervical cancer and treat them.
The immediate impact - the numbers
At least 122,137 women have been screened with the VIA method in 6 locations through existing health centers and by mobile clinics.
From 2004 to 2020, 4,114 doctors and midwives were trained and 2,569 community volunteers. Many trainings were conducted jointly with the Ministry of Health, this ensured the sustainability of the program. A key stakeholder is First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo who is committed to the early detection of cervical cancer.
We continue with the Center of Excellence
In collaboration with the medical faculty of the University of Indonesia and LUMC, this Center of Excellence was developed. Education and knowledge exchange about and research on comprehensive cancer care and the sustainability of our program are the focus of this program, which is still active.
Long-term effect
We also call the program in Indonesia the flagship of the Female Cancer Foundation because this is the model we have started working with in other countries as well. The large scale and sustainability of this project is an example for these countries. We are very happy to implement this and were there at the right time to participate in the national rollout of the See&Treat method. Female Cancer Program in Indonesia is a national concept and she is part of and in contact with the stakeholders at the highest level to continue to do this in the long term.
Indonesia and our partners have not finished putting cervical cancer on the map as a priority since it was identified as a national priority for women's health in 2015. They are well on their way in a structural and sustainable way by connecting the right stakeholders locally and nationally and continuing to train through the train-the-trainer principle. Female Cancer Program Jakarta continues to play a major role in this to convey the knowledge and expertise and as an expert partner towards the Ministry for rolling out the national program.
For more information on this project, see the videos below.
From a solid base, expansion to the most vulnerable areas
Since the start in 2004, thousands of health workers have been trained, communities educated, women screened and if necessary preventively treated. From this solid base, we are introducing the programme to even more vulnerable regions. With training and under the supervision of the See & Treat experts from the Female Cancer Programme in Jakarta, the Female Cancer Foundation is thus striving to expand the 'oil spot' even further.