Initiatives to achieve a 50% cancer screening rate.
- GOOD HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING
Issue
Cancer screenings with persistently low participation rates.
Despite evidence showing that cancer screenings are effective in reducing cancer mortality rates, Japan’s cancer screening participation rate remained strikingly low compared to other countries, at approximately 20% in the early 2000s.
In 2008, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set a goal to raise the national cancer screening rate to over 50% within five years and planned a national campaign to increase participation. e-Solutions developed proposals to support this initiative.
Approach
Plan a continuous and consistent national campaign to promote understanding and participation in cancer screenings.
The low cancer screening rate was attributed to insufficient public awareness campaigns by municipalities and a lack of personal relevance felt by individuals regarding cancer screenings. To address this, e-Solutions leveraged its knowledge and experience from the “Team Minus 6%” campaign to collaborate with municipalities actively promoting cancer screenings, as well as pharmaceutical and insurance companies, in supporting a continuous and consistent national campaign to encourage participation.
Specifically, we coordinated the timing of information dissemination between the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Cancer Control Promotion Office” and organizations actively engaged in cancer awareness campaigns, fostering a sense of unity across the national initiative. Furthermore, we partnered with pharmaceutical and insurance companies to conduct internal awareness programs and consumer outreach, promoting nationwide understanding of the importance of cancer screenings. Finally, to translate this understanding into action, we established a central execution office to oversee and integrate campaign efforts, ensuring a cohesive and effective national movement.