News from the Norwegian Cancer Society during the corona situation.

Background: During the past months, The Norwegian Cancer Society has received a lot of inquiries from worried cancer patients and relatives due to the corona situation. The Norwegian Cancer Society’s counseling service provides advice and guidance to those who have cancer, have had cancer, or are relatives of cancer patients. In addition, the counseling service can answer questions regarding cancer prevention. The counselors, who are specialist nurses and social workers, help both adults and children. The service is free and the user may remain anonymous. However, the service is currently only available for those who speak Norwegian or English.

Objective: The Norwegian Cancer Society, together with The Norwegian Council for Mental Health, wishes to expand as well as adapt this counseling service to include those who speak other languages ​​than Norwegian and English.

Target group: The target group is immigrants, particularly the largest minority language groups.

Method: The Norwegian Cancer Society wants to recruit and include volunteers employed in health-care (e.g. nurses / social workers) with proficiency in these minority languages in our counseling service. Different channels will be used to reach health professionals with minority language skills; advertisements in trade magazines, social media, etc. The Cancer Society will provide training to these volunteers. When enough counselors within a language group approach the end of the training (for example Urdu), it will be announced to the relevant immigrant group (Pakistanis) that the Cancer Society’s counseling service is available.

Schedule: The recruitment work started in September. In November, training has been carried out, and in December advertising to the target group starts with piloting in January 2021.

Expected result: The Norwegian Cancer Society wants the target group to know about the offer – and in long term contribute to more minority language speakers using the counseling service.

If you want to know more contact: Mona.Bjelland@kreftforeningen.no or Tryggve.eng.kielland@kreftforeningen.no