The president of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Valentín González Formoso, and the president of the Provincial Board of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, Javier Álvarez Barbeito, signed a collaboration agreement today to promote this network. The Provincial Council will contribute 158,606 euros, representing nearly 75% of the total budget of 211,475 euros.
The main objective is to facilitate access to support resources for cancer patients and their families, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where population dispersion and distance to specialized services hinder care. The network will foster cooperation between the association, the Provincial Council, and the municipalities, involving community social services and primary care.
Activities will include prevention, patient support, and volunteer promotion. Prevention measures include creating smoke-free spaces, promoting healthy routes, and campaigns on prevention and early detection. In terms of care, access to free services such as psychological and social support, speech therapy, physiotherapy, and nutrition will be facilitated, and community resources like Health Clubs will be developed.
The initiative builds on the experience of nine Health Clubs that the AECC has already launched since 2024 in rural municipalities, which involved 182 people and conducted 163 workshops, receiving an average rating of 9.6 out of 10, improving emotional well-being and reducing loneliness.
Furthermore, a local volunteer network will be created and activated to support patients and families. Adhering municipalities will commit to a minimum set of actions, technically supported by the association.
The AECC already has four care centers in the province, where it assisted 2,569 people in 2024. The new network aims to expand this territorial reach and facilitate access to support resources close to home.
