Apr 29, 2023

This project trains rescued dogs to detect cancer in remote areas with limited access to healthcare Home » Health » This project trains rescued dogs to detect cancer in remote areas with limited access to healthcare byarchywordys No Comments VMLY&R Health created a bone-shaped specimen collection kit, trained detection dogs sniff it out, and if disease is detected, patients are referred to the local health system. A large number of people around the world, especially those residing in remote areas, have limited access to diagnostics and medical care. Early detection is crucial for the survival of diseases such as cancer, but in some regions patients must undertake long journeys that can last hours or even days, to reach hospitals where they can receive the most basic health checks. In this context, Dogs Without Borders appears, a project created by VMLY&R Health for KDOG, a canine medical detection unit founded by the Institut Curie in Paris. The initiative trains dogs rescued from kennels where they await slaughter to detect breast cancer, thus becoming a valuable ally for medical detection in communities in areas such as the Sahara desert, the Amazonas or some of the most remote towns in Spain. A bone-shaped kit For the project, VMLY&R Health has devised a bone-shaped sample collection kit, prepared to withstand extreme conditions of temperature, humidity or dryness and keep the samples in perfect condition. The kit contains simple and visual instructions, as well as the necessary materials for patients to collect, protect and preserve the samples. After the samples are collected, they are sniffed by detection dogs and, if disease is detected, the patient is notified, who is contacted by the local health system for further analysis. “It is scientifically proven that dogs can detect diseases through their great sense of smell, and so we asked ourselves: why don’t we save the lives of these dogs, train them to detect diseases and take them to these remote places where there is no medical means and diagnostics? It’s amazing to see how a simple idea can become a great sustainable and global solution to save so many human lives, but also dog lives at the same time. It is like a symbiosis: we save the dogs and they save us,” said Natxo Díaz, CCO of VMLY&R Health. Dr. Carla Ismael, Executive Director of the KDOG project, states that “for the first time, diagnostic medical care is provided to remote, underserved communities. In fact, we are turning the project into our own NGO” Soon, the idea will have a documentary and from the agency they anticipate that it is one of the main bets of VMLY&R for Cannes Lions 2023 at a global level. 2023-04-28 21:35:27