In the Palestinian village of Zabda, the doctor only comes once a week. This is far from enough for this community of two thousand people scattered across the countryside, who often do not have access to a health center. SALEH AMARNEH Mayor of Zabda Our village is located 22 kilometers from Jenin, which is considered to be the primary health center for this area. We're in a region where there are many settlements and checkpoints... This makes it difficult to move around and delays the arrival of patients at the hospital. Some people have died because of this. Augusta Victoria Hospital's mobile clinic, equipped with diagnostic tools for breast cancer screening, has now arrived here. Its program includes awareness-raising sessions on the early diagnosis of breast cancer, as well as training in the technique of self-examination. Mammograms are also offered to women over 40. This initiative is part of the annual project "Fight like a girl! Inclusive women's health and breast cancer prevention in Palestine", funded by Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. On site, the Italian NGO AVSI and the Augusta Victoria Hospital are in charge of operations. CATERINA UBOLDI AVSI Palestine The impact and mortality of this disease in Palestine are largely underestimated. That's why we felt it was important to get involved in the health sector and tackle this problem, and above all to support fundamental realities such as the Augusta Victoria Hospital and the Mobile Clinic. The staff - all women - leave Jerusalem every day to visit the most marginalized and rural villages in the Palestinian Territories. AMAL ABU GHANAM Nurse Each woman who comes here, as nurse I make a file for her, a hard copy and then enter it in the AVH system In the waiting room inside the truck, a woman is resting for a few minutes after her mammogram. She is 62 years old and this is only her second examination: I once wanted to have this examination, but because of strikes I couldn't go. When I heard about this mobile clinic, my husband encouraged me to go. The service is excellent. My aunt died at the age of 38 from a breast cancer that was not detected in time. According to the tests, she had been suffering from the disease for four years. If suspected cases are discovered, Augusta Victoria Hospital offers further tests. AMAL ABU GHANAM Nurse Each woman did mammography, after the doctor at AVH reads her images, we contact her by phone for a follow up. If she needs some helps for diagnosis, such as ultrasound or maybe biopsy, we ask her if she wants to follow up at AVH, we can help her to do that for free CATERINA UBOLDI AVSI Palestine We are very satisfied with this project. We have always managed to intervene with great sensitivity and respect in the realities in which we operate, and we are thus providing many women with the opportunity to have access to these preventive practices. MURJAN AL-HOOR Registered nurse In our society, women have difficulty accessing health centers, especially if they live in marginalized or remote villages. The reasons may be financial or because their husbands refuse to let them travel alone. Bringing this service into their homes contributes to the early detection of breast cancer, and therefore to saving lives. Many women tell us that the arrival of the service in their village encourages them. Read More