Welcome to the National Cancer Control Programme

The National Cancer Control Programme of the Ministry of Health is the main government organization which coordinates the national response to cancer control activities in Sri Lanka. National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) is a specialized public health programme. It is under the Non Communicable Disease Bureau of the Ministry of Health and comes under the Deputy Director General of Non Communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. Director/NCCP, deputy Director/NCCP in consultation with the senior management team provides leadership and partnership to cancer Control activities in Sri Lanka.

It collaborates with many national and international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and UN organizations while providing leadership and partnership to 23 island wide cancer care hospitals.

The National Cancer Control Programme aims to provide a comprehensive programme of cancer control in Sri Lanka, by integrating evidence-based strategies and improving health systems, by focusing on primary prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation, survivorship and palliative care, taking into account the cancer morbidity and mortality pattern and the current health care infrastructure in the country. National Cancer Control Programme administratively comes under the line ministry while cancer care hospital are under the direct administration of provincial health authorities or under the line ministries.

Currently NCCP is situated at No555/5, Ground floor Public Health Complex, Elvitigala Mawatha Colombo 05, Sri Lanka. A Central Cancer Early Detection Centre is located at a separate private building, which is rented by the Rotary Club of Colombo at Narahenpita. All the services are provided by the staff of the National Cancer Control Programme.

Objectives

  1. Ensure primary prevention of cancers by addressing risk factors and determinants by improved public health awareness and empowerment.
  2. Advocate for early detection of cancers by improved public health awareness and relevant services providers, particularly primary care providers, through opportunistic screening of asymptomatic populations and, if clinically suspicious, ensure prompt referral of individuals with symptoms and sings suggestive of cancer in symptomatic populations leading to early clinical diagnosis.
  3. Ensure rehabilitation, survivorship and palliative care facilities foe cancer patients and support to their care givers at all levels.
  4. Ensure sustained equitable access to diagnosis and treatment facilities for cancers.
  5. Strengthen cancer information systems and surveillance to monitor the progress and to evaluate the outcomes of cancer control actions.
  6. Promote professional educations of doctors, nurses, technicians and health workers to augment trained human resources.
  7. Promote research and utilization of its findings for prevention and control of cancers.