ABO Foundation and the Department of Public Health join forces to strengthen preventive cancer care in Aruba.

Nanine Ponson, director of ABO, emphasized that this partnership represents a strategic and thoughtful step in the healthcare management of the population.

The relationship between ABO and DVG is not new. ABO was born out of Stichting BOB Aruba and DVG in 2012. At that time, with stakeholders such as AZV and the hospital, BOB Aruba Foundation became the pioneer of early detection of chronic diseases, particularly breast cancer. For 12 years, the BOB Foundation has been the central organization for expanding breast cancer screening programs. ABO has now introduced cervical and colon cancer screenings. 

ABO Foundation was established in October 2024, and the BOCA and CORESA programs began shortly after. 

With nearly 10 years of experience in the BOB program, there is no doubt that CORESA and ABO will offer similar added value on an individual level. Besides prevention, it is essential to determine whether the results are reflective of the community within the selected age groups. Most cancer cases occur among individuals aged 45 to 75, and as with the CORESA program, the BOCA program targets those between 24 and 65 years old. It is crucial to understand the types of cancer and tumors that appear, and how the program affects the population's mortality rate.

They will address these epidemiological questions through the collaboration between ABO Foundation and DVG. The objective is to acquire the required data using information obtained from the hospital, such as the cancer types found. 

The data is collected with the explicit consent of each participant and processed anonymously so that DVG can fulfill its supervisory role. ABO also adheres to the privacy regulations of each participant.

ABO offers screening services for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer.