ROCCAS 4 SM - REGIONAL PROGRAM FOR PREVENTION, EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND EARLY TREATMENT OF COLORECTAL CANCER IN THE SOUTH-MUNTENIA REGION – ID 343154

The ROCCAS 4 South-Muntenia project is a major strategic intervention in the field of cancer prevention, dedicated to increasing access to colorectal cancer screening services among vulnerable populations in the region. Funded through the European Social Fund Plus under the Health Programme, the project contributes to the European objective ESO4.11 by expanding equitable access to quality medical services and reducing health inequalities. Implemented between September 2025 and October 2029, the project proposes an integrated model that combines medical interventions with community mobilization and the development of screening infrastructure.

The partnership is coordinated by Fundeni Clinical Institute together with the SASTIPEN Association and the Renașterea Foundation, bringing together clinical expertise, public health experience, and the capacity to work directly with vulnerable communities. The main objective is to improve access to cancer prevention through information, mobilization, and testing for people aged 50 to 74, a high-risk group. The project aims to inform over 31,000 people, test more than 25,000 through FIT tests, and perform over 1,200 colonoscopies for high-risk cases within a modernized and equipped regional prevention center.

Activities include health education campaigns, individual counselling, logistical support for participation in screening, collaboration with family doctors, and the use of an electronic system for monitoring results. SASTIPEN plays an essential role in mobilizing vulnerable communities through its network of health mediators and community workers, facilitating access for hard-to-reach people to preventive medical services.

The project’s impact is multidimensional: early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, reduced mortality through early detection, stronger collaboration between medical institutions and communities, and the creation of a model that can be replicated nationally. By developing a regional prevention center that will continue operating after the end of funding, ROCCAS 4 South-Muntenia contributes to the sustainability of the intervention and to the modernization of public health systems. Overall, the project is a key step in reducing late diagnoses and ensuring equitable access to prevention for vulnerable people in Romania.