Cabinet nod to strengthen cancer surveillance through population-based cancer registry program in selected districts

The Cabinet of  Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Vital Strategies and the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to implement a population-based cancer registry program in several selected districts.

The Data for Health (D4H) Initiative Program, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the government of Australia, provides the technical support to more than 20 low- and medium-income countries for strengthening the collection and utilization of decisive public health information.

The Institute of Vital Strategies, which acts collaboratively with that program, has implemented 03 programs so far, acting as a prioritized technical partner in data initiatives in the health sector in Sri Lanka.

The Institute of Vital Strategies has agreed to provide technical support for strengthening population-based cancer registry program in several selected districts. Under the proposed project, it is expected to spend about Rs. 19.50 million on the identified activities through the Sri Lanka Health Information Society, which is the financial agency of that institute.