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PROJECT TITLE: REACH & HEAL: Rotary-Enabled Access to Cervical Cancer prevention and Health improvement using the Rotary HEAL (Health, Education, Access, and Life) Mobile Clinic program.
FOCUS AREAS: This grant advances Disease Prevention and Treatment by expanding cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccination, screening, and same-day treatment. The mobile clinic will also provide breast exams and basic health checks (blood pressure, glucose, BMI) to normalize participation and reduce stigma. By integrating services at the community level, the project also supports Maternal And Child Health, Community Health Education & Outreach, and Health Workforce Strengthening through training and mentorship of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, government clinicians, and local stakeholder partners.
OVERVIEW: REACH & HEAL is a Rotary-enabled mobile clinic that delivers preventive healthcare-HPV vaccination, self-collection, colposcopy, and same-day thermal ablation-directly to underserved communities in Mysore, Mandya, and Rural Bangalore. Implemented by the Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII), a nonprofit with nearly two decades of women's health experience, the project closes critical gaps in detection, treatment, and education. Using a hub-and-spoke model anchored at PHRII's Prerana Clinic, REACH & HEAL strengthens the health system and provides a replicable model for low-resource settings. PHRII also leads the Mysore Consortium Against Cervical Cancer (MCACC), uniting medical colleges, nonprofits, and community stakeholders to advance prevention and care across the region, all of whom will directly benefit from this project.
PROJECT NEED: Cervical cancer claims nearly 80,000 lives annually, one every eight minutes in India. Karnataka accounts for ~12% of these deaths, yet fewer than 2% of women have ever been screened, and vaccination remains below 1% (NFHS-5, 2019-21). Many women diagnosed through PHRII's programs cannot complete treatment due to stigma, cost, and distance-leaving half of HPV-positive women untreated. Without community-based services, women continue to face late diagnoses, poor survival, and preventable deaths.
DESCRIPTION: The REACH & HEAL project brings prevention, screening, and treatment directly to villages. The mobile clinic will vaccinate adolescent girls, provide HPV self-collection and colposcopy, and deliver same-day thermal ablation under WHO protocols. Women needing advanced care will be referred through PHRII's partnerships with government hospitals and members. Sustainability is built in - ASHAs and Anganwadi workers will be trained in outreach and follow-up, government clinicians in diagnosis and referral, and MCACC partners in specialty procedures and data systems. Education campaigns will address stigma, and Project ECHO mentoring will reinforce skills. Through this Rotary-enabled model, women gain timely, dignified care, while local systems strengthen capacity to sustain it.
LOCATION & DATES: The project will be implemented in Mysore, Mandya, and Rural Bangalore districts. Activities are scheduled to begin in January 2026, with the mobile clinic fully operational by September 2026, and services are expected to continue well beyond the grant period.
PARTICIPANTS: An MOU will be signed with PHRII, the implementing partner with a strong record in women's health and an annual operating budget over USD 200,000. Participants include trained ASHA and Anganwadi workers, government clinicians, Rotary volunteers, and faculty and trainees from MCACC partners. Together, they will deliver services, training, research, and sustainability.
Budget:
1. Transport vehicle for staff fand Supplies $34,432
2.Mobile Van and fabrication $33,352
3. Colposcope $5056
4. Thermal Ablation Device $2894
5. Microscope $855
6. Laptop (3) $2646
7. Printer(2) $933
8. Gynecology table $822
9.Camp equipment $1221
10.Contingency Fund $6742
11.tables (8) 2247
Total $89,200
BENEFITS: What makes this model work?
• Access: It reaches the hardest-to-serve areas.
• Compliance: Offers same-day diagnosis and treatment.
• Trust: Builds on local health worker engagement and cultural familiarity.
• Efficiency: Rotates through multiple villages for wide coverage.
• Scalability: Designed for district-level replication and public health integration.
BENEFICIARIES ANNUAL NUMBER
Adolescent girls with vaccination and awareness 500+
Screening Eligible women 30-65
Screenings 4000+
Treatment of precancerous lesions averting cancer, family
financial strain and overburdening of hospitals 250+
Villages provided education & screening for cervical & breast cancer 30+
Capacity Building with education, training, & mentorship
ASHA/Anganwadi workers 50+ Local Providers 10+
Rotary and the global community by demonstrating scalable, replicable models for cervical cancer prevention and public health impact.
LINKS:
Website: PHRII
You tube: A Look inside PHRII's Cervical Cancer Prevention Center
CONTACT:
Devanshi Somaiya, MD, MPH
Trustee and Senior Research Physician, Public Health Research Institute of India
Director, Mysore Consortium Against Cervical Cancer.
Director, Prerana Cervical Cancer Prevention Center.
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