Breast screening encouraged for wāhine this May
Te Piki Oranga encourages wāhine Māori and Pasifika women to book their breast screening appointment if they are due or overdue for this important health check.
The Breast Screen South mobile clinic is in the rohe this month:
Wairau / Marlborough
5 to 12 May, with special Mana Wāhine clinics on 8, 9 and 10 May
Rangitāne Cultural Centre, Ūkaipō
Motueka
14 to 26 May with special Mana Wāhine clinics on
Thursday 15 May, 3.30-6.15pm
Friday 16 May, 8.45am to 3.15pm
Saturday 17 May, 9am to 1pm
Location: at Te Piki Oranga near Te Āwhina Marae on Pah St
Tākaka
28 May to 19 June
Golden Bay Community Healtlh Centre
Bookings are required: Phone or text Kaye MacDonald – Breast Screening Kaituitui, Te Piki Oranga on:
027 836 6017 or 0800 270 200
Making screening more accessible
Offering screening in a local, community setting like the marae helps to make it more accessible, particularly for Māori and Pasifika wāhine, says Lorraine Staunton, Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga (Service Delivery Manager), for Te Piki Oranga.
“This is a vital opportunity to take a proactive step toward hauora and support each other in staying well,” Lorraine says.
“Wāhine who are 45 to 69, or 74, and who are due or overdue for their mammogram are encouraged to book their free appointment.”
In addition to free mammograms, wāhine can also access cervical screening and HPV self-testing by appointment, on the same day.
The mobile screening unit is a large, custom-built bus equipped with advanced breast screening technology. The Breast Screen South team bring the bus to Motueka and Tākaka approximately every two years. In Whakatū / Nelson screening is undertaken in the Nelson Hospital radiology department.
In Wairau / Marlborough screening is also done in the Wairau Hospital radiology department, but for the first time, the mobile team is coming to Wairau, with a week-long stay at the Rangitāne Cultural Centre in Ūkaipō.
A whānau-centred approach: screening with wrap-around support
Te Piki Oranga will host dedicated Mana Wāhine clinics at Ūkaipō and Motueka to support Māori and Pasifika wāhine to attend their screenings. We have done this in collaboration with Rangitāne ki Wairau, Waikawa Marae, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Hawaiki Kura and the Pasifika Trust.
The Mana Wāhine-style clinics offer wāhine the opportunity to receive breast screening in a safe, supportive environment, with access to a range of other essential health services — all in one place.
In addition to free mammograms, in the Mana Wāhine clinics wāhine can access:
• cervical screening and HPV self-testing
• immunisations
• health checks
• access to rongoā Māori practitioners
• hauora information and support
Whītiki taua... that’s us, wāhine mā!
Hauora Māori and wāhine health are priorities for many Māori and Pasifika organisations across Te Tauihu. To reflect their shared kaupapa, wāhine toa from Te Piki Oranga, Rangitāne ki Wairau, Waikawa Marae, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Hawaiki Kura, and the Pasifika Trust came together to share a collective message of care and commitment to whānau wellbeing: Whītiki taua... that’s us, wāhine mā!’
“We are saying ‘Whītiki taua…that’s us, wāhine ma!’ as a call to action to all the māmā, nannies, sisters, aunties, cousins, and besties to check in with each other. Let’s make sure we're up to date with our breast screening,” Lorraine says.
“Let’s book our appointments and show up together, knowing that Te Piki Oranga is there to awhi you through the experience.
“Because when breast cancer is found early, it can be treated. That’s the truth. And yet, wāhine Māori and Pasifika are still more likely to be diagnosed late – and to die from this disease. That’s why it is important to do your screening every two years, even when you do not have any symptoms of breast cancer.
“It is also important to support each other to be aware about breast cancer symptoms, and to see your GP or healthcare practitioner as soon as you can when you have any concerns about your breast health.
“We’re doing this to close the equity gap. To give all our wāhine, no matter where we live or who we are, the chance to live long, healthy lives. This is about changing the stats, one wāhine at a time,” Lorraine says.
Hauora Māori and women’s health are important to many Māori and Pasifika organisations in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Mauī. To show how much they care, a group of wāhine toa from Te Piki Oranga, Rangitāne ki Wairau, Waikawa Marae, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, Hawaiki Kura and the Pasifika Trust collaborated for a special photo to illustrate their message to whānau: Whītiki taua... that’s us, wāhine mā!
Photo credit: David James
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in Aotearoa
Māori and Pasifika wāhine are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and are more likely to experience poorer outcomes.
“When breast cancer is found early through regular screening, it’s highly treatable. But there are still too many barriers to ensure wāhine Māori and Pasifika women access screening services at the same rate as others,” Lorraine says.
In the Nelson Marlborough region, the screening rates are:
Wāhine Māori: 68.3%
Pasifika wāhine: 53.6%
Non-Māori, non-Pasifika women: 77.1%
The national target for breast screening is 70%.
