Program
Building awareness for prostate health and cancer screenings
 |
Country
Dominican Republic
Cancer is a leading cause of illness and mortality in the Dominican Republic, with prostate cancer alone responsible for over 16% of both cases and deaths.1 Improving access to care and overcoming both fear and stigma about prostate cancer are key factors affecting the incidence and mortality rates in the Dominican Republic and projections for increased disease burden.
Astellas’ funding supports the Prostate Health Awareness and Screening Campaign (PHASC) through MAP International. This is a multi-pronged approach to raise awareness for a historically underrepresented cancer through media for a broad audience. The first phase will launch a community education campaign reaching six million people in high-traffic areas using culturally relevant messages, and strategic media placements. The second phase will target densely populated areas with mobile screening sites, bringing patients in rural areas and those without transportation to advanced medical service providers in one central location. Volunteer urologists and oncologists will provide 5,000 patients with screenings and consultations across the country.
The goal of this campaign is to remove barriers to continuing care after initial prevention and screening services and to reduce the aggressive rate of incidence and mortality associated with prostate cancer in the Dominican Republic. With an expected increase in screenings and preventative care across the island, projected outcomes of this campaign include:
- Prioritizing regular prostate health maintenance through doctor-patient relationships.
- Establishing quality baseline measurements to enable annual tracking of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) numbers and cases.
- Providing patients with referrals to quality providers to continue care after screening and consultation.