GCCA awards 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants to 8 projects in 7 countries

The Global Colon Cancer Association announced 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants for eight projects in seven countries, backing screening, education, navigation and patient support efforts. The $40,000 round is part of nearly $200,000 GCCA has awarded through the program to expand equitable access to colorectal cancer care.

Why it matters: - The grants target colorectal cancer gaps in underserved communities, where screening, follow-up care and patient education can lag. - GCCA’s funding is aimed at practical projects that can move people from awareness to testing to treatment. - The 2026 awards support work in Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

What happened: - The Global Colon Cancer Association announced the recipients of its 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants. - GCCA selected 8 grant awardees in 7 countries after reviewing applications from 17 countries. - The 2026 recipients will share $40,000 in grant funding. - GCCA said the program has awarded nearly $200,000 to date.

The details: - Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence in Rwanda will use the grant to improve colorectal cancer awareness and screening uptake in rural Rwanda through community health worker-led education, outreach and patient navigation. - The Rwanda project includes collaboration with local health centers and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre to strengthen community health worker capacity and improve access to timely screening and follow-up care. - COLONTOWN, part of PALTOWN Development Foundation in the United States, will expand its Derrière Diplomats peer ambassador program. - The U.S. project focuses on biomarker awareness, precision medicine education and clinical trial literacy among colorectal cancer patients, with outreach to underserved communities. - Fundación GEDYT in Argentina will run a FIT screening pilot inside Argentina’s public health system at Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. - The Argentina pilot includes patient education, patient navigation and a care pathway to diagnostic colonoscopy for positive FIT results. - Henaran Charitable Foundation in Armenia will develop a colorectal cancer patient education guidebook in Armenian. - The guidebook will cover diagnosis, treatment, side effects, survivorship and questions patients can ask their healthcare teams. - The Armenian guidebook will be available online and distributed in print through cancer clinics across Armenia. - Niola Cancer Care Foundation in Nigeria will train community health workers, conduct community outreach and use local radio to increase symptom awareness, referrals and access to screening resources. - The Nigeria project targets colorectal cancer awareness and screening in Ogun State with equitable health promotion and gender-targeted interventions. - SAID NGO in Lebanon will expand colorectal cancer awareness and early detection efforts through community education events, Arabic-language awareness materials and FIT screening outreach. - The Lebanon initiative is designed to increase knowledge of colorectal cancer symptoms and improve screening access in local communities. - Syreon Research Africa in Ghana will assess access to stool-based colorectal cancer screening tests to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. - The Ghana project will produce evidence-based recommendations for more equitable, efficient and scalable screening programs. - Trials of Color in the United States will support “Peace of Mind at Home,” a community screening and navigation initiative in Virginia. - The Virginia project will distribute Cologuard screening tests and connect participants with positive results to diagnostic colonoscopy through VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Between the lines: - GCCA is favoring projects that combine education with a clear path to screening and follow-up, not awareness alone. - Several awards focus on community health workers, patient navigation and local-language materials, signaling a push toward lower-barrier access. - The geographic spread suggests the grant program is meant to support scalable models that can be adapted across different health systems. - Bristol Myers Squibb and Exelixis sponsored the 2026 CRC Health Equity Grants program.

What's next: - GCCA said the funded projects will move ahead in their local communities over the coming grant cycle. - Organizations interested in sponsoring the program can contact nicole@globalcca.org. - GCCA directs readers to more information about the association.