A new project was announced today to increase regular Pap screening among Prince Edward Island women, and reduce the high rate of cervical cancer in Prince Edward Island.
The project partners include the Canadian Cancer Society, PEI Division and the provincial Department of Health and Social Services.
During the coming year, they will work together to determine which P.E.I. women are not having regular Pap tests and suggest how they can most effectively be encouraged to do so.
Health and Social Services Minister Mildred Dover advised that cervical cancer is the easiest cancer to prevent and the only cancer that can be prevented by screening. "Despite these facts, the incidence of cervical cancer in Prince Edward Island is remaining the same while national cervical cancer rates are decreasing, and the majority of our cervical cancer cases are in women who are not screened or inadequately screened with a Pap. We hope that through this project we can develop organized screening programs which help us to meet Canadian guidelines which recommend that all women aged 18 to 69 are screened every three years, after two normal annual tests."
Dr. Linda VanTil, epidemiologist with the provincial Department of Health and Social Services, advised that the project participants will determine the percentages of the population which are or are not being screened. Then, with assistance from Cancer Society community volunteers, they will recommend proven strategies which encourage all women to take part in regular screening programs.
Cancer Society president Donna Murnaghan advised that some of the most effective screening program recruitment strategies proven in other areas include letters of invitation from women's physicians with a follow-up phone call; community activities plus a personalized letter for rural women; mobile units for rural women; and offering Pap to hospital inpatients.
"We hope that our strong Cancer Society volunteer base and experience in community interventions and public education, combined with the provincial data now available within the Department of Health and Social Services, will enable us to jointly propose programs that are most appropriate for P.E.I.," said Ms. Murnaghan.
The project is funded by Health Canada's Population Health Fund. Member of Parliament George Proud advised that the Population Health Fund has been set up to support time-limited projects which contribute to increased participation by the population in issues aimed at improving their health.
"This project is an excellent example of how governments and community organizations can work most effectively together to improve population health, and in this case reduce the high rate of cervical cancer on the Island. We are very pleased to be a funding partner in this worthwhile project," said Mr. Proud.