Improving Breast Cancer Screening in Vulnerable Neighborhoods: Pink Ribbon Pilot Program

Women from vulnerable neighborhoods participate less often in the breast cancer screening programme

Pink Ribbon gets started with tailor-made information thanks to a donation from the Postcode Lottery
Women in vulnerable neighborhoods need help with timely detection of breast cancer
Women from vulnerable neighborhoods participate less often in the breast cancer population screening, while this population screening prevents approximately 850 to 1075 breast cancer deaths every year. This is evident from figures from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The risk is that the disease will be discovered later, resulting in a less favorable outlook. In order to properly inform these women about the possibility of the population screening, tailor-made information is needed. In a familiar environment and in understandable language. Thanks to a donation from the Postcode Lottery, Pink Ribbon, in collaboration with the Mammarosa Foundation and GGD Haaglanden, can start a pilot in the The Hague region aimed at better informing these women about options for detecting breast cancer at an early stage.

Health gap
Carla van Gils, director of Pink Ribbon/KWF: “The Netherlands is struggling with a large health gap, with people in poor neighborhoods living on average nine years shorter. Before you can consider participating in a population survey, you must be well informed. But in these neighborhoods, problems surrounding low literacy, cultural differences, taboos and poverty stress are more common. That is why a targeted approach is urgently needed. It is important to provide women from these neighborhoods with better tailored information about the population screening and about what they can do themselves to detect breast cancer in time. We are grateful to the participants of the Postcode Lottery for their support, which has enabled us to launch this innovative pilot program.”

Collaboration with local partners
Pink Ribbon collaborates with the Mammarosa Foundation for this project. The Mammarosa Foundation has been organizing meetings for women in vulnerable neighborhoods for seventeen years. People live here who live on the edge of the poverty line and therefore experience so much stress that they do not pay enough attention to the population survey. The Mammarosa Foundation works together with prayer and community centers in vulnerable neighborhoods to promote contact between fellow sufferers, provide information and make the taboo surrounding breast cancer in certain cultures a subject of discussion. In addition, Pink Ribbon works closely with GGD Haaglanden, RIVM – Center for Population Research, Population Research Netherlands and various neighborhood organizations in The Hague.

Cultural diversity
Daniëlla Gidaly, chairman of the Mammarosa Foundation: “Vulnerable neighborhoods are more often home to women who, in addition to poverty stress, also have a migration background. The existing information and guidance about population screenings does not suit these women. Visiting a possible male laboratory technician can be an obstacle for them. , and cultural taboos surrounding cancer can be a barrier to participation in preventive screenings. Bad news is sometimes concealed due to cultural norms, and asking for help is often difficult. Mammarosa takes the stress and this cultural diversity into account in its approach to information and guidance for this target group.”

The future
Thanks to the donation from the Postcode Lottery, this new approach can first be rolled out in The Hague, where local partners, such as Mammarosa, have a good network. If the pilot proves successful, Pink Ribbon hopes to be able to use the method in other places in the Netherlands.

Jonne Arnoldussen, managing director of the Postcode Lottery: “At the Postcode Lottery we are proud to be able to support Pink Ribbon in this important pilot. It is very important that women in vulnerable neighborhoods have appropriate access to information about preventive breast cancer screenings. This increases the chance of timely detection of breast cancer. The collaboration in this pilot shows how joining forces of local parties contributes to a healthier Netherlands.”

Bron: KWF / Pink Ribbon

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2023-11-16 10:00:05
#Women #vulnerable #neighborhoods #timely #detection #breast #cancer