The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is partnering with BC Cancer to launch a province-wide cancer screening promotion campaign, in an effort to increase knowledge about BC Cancer’s screening services for breast, cervical, colon and lung cancer.
The new campaign focuses on who is eligible for these screening services and how to access them. By increasing awareness about existing services, the campaign aims to improve regular access to cancer screening services for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people living in British Columbia.
Regular access to cancer screening can help detect cancer earlier, and may lead to better health outcomes for everyone who uses them.
Rates of certain types of cancer — such as colon and cervical cancer — are significantly higher for First Nations people in B.C. than for other residents. For many types of cancer, early detection can lead to better health outcomes.
There are a number of efforts underway to improve access to primary health care for First Nations in B.C., including the establishment of new primary care centres and efforts to improve safety in health care.
Trends in screening rates and cancer diagnoses provide insight into the health of First Nations people across B.C. and help to inform decisions and strategies that better meet their needs. Over time, it is expected that these efforts will help to improve cancer screening rates and health outcomes for First Nations people in BC.
The campaign features health leaders who share information about cancer screening to empower and support individuals in taking control of their own wellness journey. It encourages people to get screened as early as possible and points to the connections between individual and community wellness through the campaign slogans, which include Honour Yourself, Honour Your Family, Honour Your Community, and Honour Your Ancestors.
“Some of our initial surveillance findings show that screening participation is lower for First Nations when compared to other B.C. residents,” says Warren Clarmont, Provincial Director, Indigenous Cancer Control, BC Cancer.
“We know that early detection through screening increases the chance of survival and can save lives. This campaign is about how screening is not just about your own health, it’s for our children, our families, and our communities, and is something we should encourage and support each other to do.”
Cancer affects everyone, whether as a patient, as a survivor or knowing someone with a diagnosis. For more information about the new campaign and cancer screening services, visit www.fnha.ca/cancer.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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