The Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) announced the recipients of the 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants. 

WASHINGTON, D.C., DC, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Global Colon Cancer Association’s 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants Awardees Announced

Washington, D.C.: The Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) announced the recipients of the 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants.

Background
The GCCA CRC Health Equity Grants program seeks to provide financial assistance to fill specific unmet needs in underserved communities around the world. Priority is given to members who clearly define the community they serve, the disparities they face, their project goals, methods, and how they will measure success. To date, GCCA has awarded nearly $200K through the program, including $40K to the 2026 recipients. Areas of focus include equity driven screening programs, educational opportunities, patient support, and policy initiatives to increase equitable access to screening, testing, and treatment. In 2026, GCCA received grant applications from 17 countries. After extensive review, GCCA has selected 8 grant awardees in 7 countries whose projects work towards health equity in their respective communities.

Awardees and Projects
Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence (Rwanda) has been awarded a grant to improve colorectal cancer awareness and screening uptake in rural Rwanda through community health worker-led education, outreach, and patient navigation. In collaboration with local health centers and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the initiative will strengthen community health worker capacity while helping more people access timely screening and follow-up care.

COLONTOWN (PALTOWN Development Foundation) (United States) has been awarded a grant to expand its Derrière Diplomats peer ambassador program to improve biomarker awareness, precision medicine education, and clinical trial literacy among colorectal cancer patients. The initiative will focus on reaching underserved communities in the U.S. and connecting patients with peer support, educational resources, and biomarker-specific communities.

Fundación GEDYT (Argentina) has been awarded a grant to implement a FIT screening pilot within the public health system of Argentina at Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. The pilot includes patient education, patient navigation, and a comprehensive care pathway to diagnostic colonoscopy for positive FIT screening findings.

Henaran Charitable Foundation (Armenia) has been awarded a grant to develop a comprehensive colorectal cancer patient education guidebook in Armenian, providing accessible information on diagnosis, treatment, side effects, survivorship, and questions patients can ask their healthcare teams. The guidebook will be available online and distributed in print through cancer clinics across Armenia.

Niola Cancer Care Foundation (Nigeria) has been awarded a grant to train community health workers, perform community outreach, and engage local radio to increase colorectal cancer symptom awareness, referrals, and access to screening resources. They aim to advance colorectal cancer awareness and screening in Ogun State through equitable health promotion and gender-targeted interventions.

SAID NGO (Lebanon) has been awarded a grant to expand colorectal cancer awareness and early detection efforts in Lebanon through community education events, Arabic-language awareness materials, and FIT screening outreach. The initiative will help increase knowledge of colorectal cancer symptoms and improve access to screening in local communities.

Syreon Research Africa (Ghana) has been awarded a grant to assess access to stool-based colorectal cancer screening tests in Ghana to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. The project will generate evidence-based recommendations to support more equitable, efficient, and scalable screening programs.

Trials of Color (United States) has been awarded a grant to support “Peace of Mind at Home”, a community screening and navigation initiative focused on a community in Virginia (U.S.) with disproportionately high CRC incidence. The project will distribute Cologuard screening tests and link participants with positive screening results to diagnostic colonoscopy through VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Sponsorship
GCCA would like to thank the 2026 sponsors of the CRC Health Equity Grants program, Bristol Myers Squibb and Exelixis for their support. For information on sponsoring this program, please contact nicole@globalcca.org.


About GCCA
The Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) advocates for equitable access to quality colorectal cancer screenings, testing, treatments, and care, because where you live should not determine whether you can prevent or survive colorectal cancer. As both a membership-based umbrella organization and a direct patient advocacy organization, GCCA works toward this goal by amplifying and supporting the efforts of our member organizations, by developing adaptable advocacy and educational materials for our members, and by conducting our own advocacy, education, and initiatives that ensure patients are at the heart of all policy discussions. For more information about the Global Colon Cancer Association, please visit www.globalcca.org.



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Nicole Sheahan
Global Colon Cancer Association
email us here

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