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Background information regarding involvement of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club's participation in cervical cancer screening and treatment in Afghanistan.
Since 2016, our Rotary Club -led initiative has been dedicated to screening and treatment of cervical cancer in Afghanistan. We have been able to do this in partnerships with international universities, medical companies, and humanitarian organizations. Through these efforts we have successfully trained Afghan OB/GYNs who work in 8 hospitals in major cities throughout Afghanistan, training them with lifesaving diagnostic and treatment technologies.
2016 Initiative
• Innovation: Club Rotarians identified Mobile ODT technology in Israel. This company makes a device that works with a smart phone for cervical cancer screening. With her nursing background, Club Rotarian Fary Moini traveled to Israel and was trained by the Mobile ODT team and purchased 4 of the screening devices.
• Training : Moini then traveled to Turkey to train 4 Afghan female OB/GYNs at Cukurova University on use of the devices. These doctors work in two hospitals in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
• Treatment Expansion: In addition to training doctors for cervical cancers screening, in some cases treatment was necessary. By collaboration with WiSap (Germany) the club was able to procure effective treatment devices and provide training to the Afghan OB/GYNs who had been trained on the screening devices thus saving countless women's lives.
2018: Additional screening and treatment devices were procured and 12 additional OB/GYNs were trained in Kabul representing 6 additional hospitals. These new devices were transported to Kabul by the U.S. military with support from Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health.
Current Challenge
Mobile ODT who provided the screening devices was acquired by Liger Medical Center in Utah. The screening devices that had been procured and put in use in Afghanistan became unusable due to outdated applications. Today the Afghan physicians cannot continue using the screening devices.
Proposed Solution
We seek funding to purchase two IRIS devices containing the latest generation technology that combines both diagnostic and treatment capabilities for cervical cancer in one package. The IRIS device is simple to use, (training is provided online) is sustainable, and will allow Afghan OB/GYNs to continue providing lifesaving care to women. We propose these devices be put to use in Nangarhar Teaching Hospital and Nangarhar Public Hospital, both in Jalalabad. Our previously trained OB/GYNs practice in these hospitals and our club has had a long term relationship with various programs involving these hospitals for many years.
Impact
• Immediate procurement and shipment of 2 IRIS devices to trained OB/GYNs in Afghanistan.
• Continuation of a proven program that has already saved numerous women's lives.
• Sustainable cervical cancer prevention through accessible, modern technology.
• Through our communications with Afghan public health officials, we know of no other program in Afghanistan offering this type of advanced technology for cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Request
We respectfully request grant funding to purchase and deliver two IRIS devices to ensure the continuation and expansion of this vital program. This support will directly save lives and strengthen women's health in one of the world's most vulnerable regions.
Budget: $6,000 See documents for itemization.
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