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The Bladder Cancer Awareness Month Campaign 2024, titled “Challenging Uncertainty Around Symptoms,” was a nationwide hybrid public-health initiative implemented by the Health Care Association of Nepal to improve awareness of bladder-cancer symptoms, risk factors, early detection, and timely healthcare-seeking.

The campaign responded to a significant awareness gap in Nepal, where bladder cancer is rarely discussed publicly and many people may not recognize early warning signs such as blood in the urine, frequent or painful urination, urgency, pelvic discomfort, or unexplained urinary symptoms. Limited awareness, stigma, misinformation, and delayed consultation can contribute to diagnosis at a more advanced stage.

HCAN combined community engagement with digital communication to make bladder-cancer information understandable, relatable, and accessible. Activities included:

School-based sessions helped students and teachers understand bladder health, common warning signs, risk factors, and the importance of seeking medical assessment when symptoms occur. Young participants were also encouraged to share accurate information with their families and communities.

The creative campaign invited young people to translate medical information into posters, videos, poems, stories, and visual messages. This approach helped make a sensitive and unfamiliar health topic easier to understand while increasing youth participation in cancer awareness and prevention.

Survivor and expert podcasts added a human dimension to the campaign. A bladder-cancer survivor shared lived experience, while an expert urologist discussed symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, myths, and the importance of early medical attention. These discussions helped reduce fear, challenge misinformation, and encourage more open conversation about bladder health.

The campaign reached more than 1,200 students through school health programmes. According to the project report, the campaign recorded more than 158,000 people reached on Facebook, over 7,400 engagements, more than 1,800 YouTube podcast views, and over 100 hours of podcast watch time. The campaign also reported reaching more than 50,000 people through combined online and community activities.

The project demonstrated that combining school engagement, storytelling, expert communication, creative youth participation, and digital advocacy can increase public understanding of bladder cancer and encourage earlier healthcare-seeking.

Campaign type: Nationwide hybrid awareness campaign
Students reached: More than 1,200
Facebook reach: More than 158,000
Social-media engagements: More than 7,400
YouTube podcast views: More than 1,800
Podcast watch time: More than 100 hours
Primary focus: Symptoms, risk factors, early detection, and timely medical consultation