Coimbatore: Rotary Coimbatore Central has launched a new initiative, ‘Project Nalam’ to screen rural women for breast and cervical cancer. This is being done in association with the Rural Health Centre of GKNM Hospital at Veerapandi village on the city outskirts.

Rotary was concerned about the increasing number of cancer and diabetes cases among the poor and took up the cause to fight it, making it a global grant project of Rotary International by increasing its funding support, Rotary Coimbatore President N Damodaran said.

Rotary Club of Trumansburg, USA, and Rotary Club of Neckertal, Switzerland, joined the project in which Rotary has provided a Tempo Traveller for outreach activities, Care HPV Test kits and a blood analyser.

The Rs 60-lakh Project Nalam will impact 5,000 rural women over five and 60 patients were screened to mark the inauguration, Damodaran said in a statement.