Touch to Share, Give Hope expands cancer support

The 'Touch to Share, Give Hope' programme, held on December 14, provided 2,010 free cancer screening packages for disadvantaged and vulnerable women across several localities. Beneficiaries included female factory workers and women employed in export processing zones and industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Bac Ninh, as well as migrant workers from other provinces.

Photo: Vietnam Women’s Union

According to the organising committee, the scheme focuses on screening for cancers that are most prevalent among women, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. In addition, HPV testing is included as a critical screening method to help detect early risks of cervical cancer.

The estimated cost of screening for these cancers, together with HPV testing, is more than $80 per person, a figure that remains beyond the reach of many low-income women.

Of the 2,010 free screening and HPV testing packages distributed, 1,000 were allocated to the Vietnam Women’s Union, while the remaining 1,010 were delivered through the Youth Union of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority.

Up to 400 women have already undergone cancer screening at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. The remaining beneficiaries are scheduled to receive screening services from December through to the end of January at Thanh Nhan Hospital, the University Medical Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, and Gia Dinh People’s Hospital. These reputable medical facilities are expected to ensure both service quality and timely follow-up for participants with abnormal screening results.

Vietnam records around 24,600 new cases of breast cancer each year, along with more than 4,600 cases of cervical cancer and nearly 1,500 cases of ovarian cancer, resulting in thousands of related deaths.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, vice president of the Vietnam Women’s Union, warned that the cancer burden is rising rapidly and increasingly affecting younger age groups. She attributed this trend to multiple factors, including lifestyle changes, work-related stress, environmental pollution, unbalanced nutrition, and limited awareness of regular health check-ups.

“Many women, especially freelance workers, migrant workers, and single mothers, place family responsibilities above their own health because of financial pressures,” Hien said. “As a result, cancers are often detected at a late stage, when treatment is more expensive and less effective.”

Photo: Vietnam Women’s Union

Launched in 2023, Touch to Share, Give Hope is jointly organised by NAPAS, Mastercard, and Payoo. The 2025 edition, running from October to December, engaged the community through two main activities.

The tap-to-pay initiative contributed around 7.6 cents to the cancer screening fund for each successful transaction, recording over 2.2 million transactions nationwide using NAPAS and Mastercard cards.

The Healthy Miles, Healthy Life running campaign linked exercise with charitable donations, contributing approximately 7.6 cents per kilometre for online runs and 76 cents per kilometre for offline runs. Nearly 3,000 participants completed almost 12,000 km in offline events, while more than 4,400 online participants logged over 240,000 valid km across 32,000 runs in 30 days.

Thanks to widespread community support, particularly from younger generations, this year's Touch to Share, Give Hope drive raised more than $160,000. The funds will be used to finance free cancer screening packages and HPV tests for vulnerable women.

Ngo Trung Linh, CEO of Viet Union Online Services Corporation, representing Payoo, explained its long-term vision, saying, "Touch to Share, Give Hope will not stop here. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with like-minded organisations and businesses to develop annual social welfare programmes that create more opportunities for vulnerable people and contribute to Vietnam’s sustainable development."

The 'Zero-Dong Stalls' initiative also continued at hospitals this year, providing essential items such as rice, cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, shampoo, and body wash to help ease daily needs and financial pressures for women undergoing treatment and recovery.

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