Payment giants kick off cancer screening program for disadvantaged women in Vietnam

The 'Touch and Share, Give Hope 2026' program was launched on Wednesday by the Vietnam National Payment Corporation (NAPAS), Mastercard and Payoo, in coordination with the Vietnam Women's Union.

It will offer 2,010 free cancer screenings to disadvantaged women in Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Dak Lak and Can Tho, after being implemented in other localities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Hung Yen and Bac Ninh in previous years.

This year's beneficiaries include low-income and seasonal workers, ethnic minority women, single women, women with disabilities, women from poor or disadvantaged households, and those affected by natural disasters, according to the organizers.

Each beneficiary will receive screening for three common cancers -- breast, ovarian and cervical cancer. The program also covers travel costs to local screening sites and providing essential goods.

The initiative aims to bring cancer screening closer to women who face barriers to accessing healthcare, in support of the Ministry of Health's national action plan on breast and cervical cancer prevention and control for 2026-35, according to the organizers.

According to the health ministry, only 28.2 percent of women aged 30-49 had ever undergone cervical cancer screening as of 2020.

Breast cancer screening rates were also low, with 18.8 percent of women reporting monthly self-examinations and 22.4 percent having undergone clinical breast examinations.

Access to healthcare services also varies significantly between urban and rural areas, with around 32 percent of women in urban areas having undergone mammography, compared with 18 percent in rural areas. The rates were particularly low among women in mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities, according to the health ministry.

Support through cashless payments, physical activity

The organizers are also encouraging the community to support this year's program through everyday cashless payments and physical activity.

From September through December, each successful contactless payment made with a Mastercard or NAPAS card at Payoo partner locations will contribute VND2,010 (US$0.08) to the cancer-screening program, according to the organizers.

Meanwhile, a running event titled 'Healthy Steps' will be held at universities across Vietnam and online for 60 days.

Each kilometer completed in the online running activity will also contribute VND2,010 (US$0.08), while each kilometer completed in running or walking events at universities will contribute VND20,100 (US$0.80).

Nguyen Dang Hung, deputy general director of NAPAS, said everyday cashless payments could create practical value for the community by helping bring early cancer-screening opportunities closer to disadvantaged women, ethnic minority women and those in areas with limited access to healthcare.

Sharad Jain, Mastercard's country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, said cooperation among businesses, organizations and the community could create practical impacts by connecting consumers and partners to better healthcare for disadvantaged women.

Ngo Trung Linh, general director of Vietnam Community Online Services JSC, which operates Payoo, said the program had expanded in both scale and format, with millions of consumers, thousands of payment acceptance points, universities and running groups now participating.

Since its launch in 2023, the 'Touch and Share, Give Hope' program has provided thousands of cancer-screening packages to disadvantaged women and engaged the community through millions of cashless payment transactions and various community activities, according to the organizers.