Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Health Center Wins 'Grand Prize' in National Cancer Management Project Best Practice Contest

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangsan-gu Public Health Center in Gwangju Metropolitan City won the grand prize at the 2021 National Cancer Control Project Best Practices Contest hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Cancer Center.

The National Cancer Control Project Best Practices Contest is an evaluation to share cancer management projects promoted by public health centers, regional cancer centers, hospice institutions, etc. nationwide and to discover excellent cases.

Gwangsan-gu was recognized for the achievements of the ‘Gwangsan-gu DIY Cancer Prevention Project,’ which helps residents proactively practice cancer prevention lifestyle rules.

Through this project, the district achieved practical results such as a cancer screening rate (the proportion of those screened among eligible individuals) of 51% (as of December 31, 2021) and a 90% awareness rate of the national cancer control project.

This was the result of analyzing data such as high-incidence cancer types and screening rates (the proportion of those screened among health checkup targets) and focusing publicity and education on high-demand target groups.

For breast cancer, which occurs most frequently in the region, a campaign was conducted in cooperation with the Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional Cancer Center, and publicity was strengthened for lung cancer screening targets and smokers, who had the lowest screening rates.

Screening was activated through active promotion via various channels such as non-face-to-face online surveys, phone calls, multimedia messages (MMS), and postal mailings tailored to each target group.

A list of local screening hospitals was created and distributed, and efforts to encourage non-face-to-face screening during the COVID-19 situation were highly evaluated, especially in areas with high foot traffic such as subway stations and Gwangju Songjeong Station.

Smoking cessation instructors and university student smoking cessation supporters were linked to conduct smoking cessation campaigns and lung cancer prevention education within the WalkOn (walking app) community.

A Gwangsan-gu official said, “National cancer screening is a key system that can diagnose cancer early, increase treatment rates, and reduce mortality rates,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to contribute to improving the health level of local residents by promoting various programs.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.