Breast Cancer Foundation fundraises for new pink caravan to educate communities

'Pinkie' the caravan has travelled around the motu since 2014, but after journeying thousands of kilometres, it has become increasingly unfit for purpose. Photo / Supplied

Covid-19 lockdowns created a screening backlog of 50,000 overdue mammograms, and while BreastScreen Aotearoa has been making progress in clearing the backlog, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ (BCFNZ) identified Waikato as one of the regions that is still lagging behind.

To help expand its early detection education programme, BCFNZ is fundraising for a new pink campervan which will allow its team of specialist breast nurses to reach more women in the country’s most isolated and rural communities.

People might know the charity’s old pink caravan, affectionately known as Pinkie, but that vehicle has travelled around the motu since 2014. After thousands of kilometres, the retro icon has become increasingly unfit for purpose and relies on volunteers to tow it around, which restricts the timing and location of visits.

That’s why the charity is building a new custom-made campervan that nurses will be able to drive themselves, giving them better access to hard-to-reach communities. The breast nurses on board will be using the campervan to continue to educate women about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, family risk, and the importance of mammograms and self-checking.

BCFNZ chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner says getting more women into screening and educating them about early detection is key to the charity’s vision of reaching zero deaths from breast cancer, especially in the wake of Covid-19, which sent screening levels back by 10 years.

“But if we don’t act now, we’ll lose one of the best tools we have to deliver our life-saving messages, as our old pink caravan faces too many limitations... We’re asking New Zealanders to help us to raise the funds to build a new pink campervan, so we can take these messages to every corner of the country, no matter how remote or isolated, where women need us the most.”

An anonymous and generous donor has already committed to matching every dollar raised up to $300,000.

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner. Photo / Supplied

During 2020 and 2021, Pinkie visited more than 160 towns and sites across New Zealand where BCFNZ nurses addressed the concerns of over 6,000 people, connected on average ten women each week with their local BreastScreen Aotearoa provider, and engaged with women who otherwise wouldn’t be able to speak to a healthcare professional.

BreastScreen Aotearoa is the government organisation that provides free screening mammograms to women aged 45-69 every two years. The main goal is to detect breast cancer early, at a stage where it is easier to treat and more survivable. The programme has achieved a 34 per cent reduction in overall breast cancer mortality in New Zealand women.

However, after breast screening was paused during Covid lockdowns, participation in the programme has fallen dramatically, and much work is needed to restore it to pre-Covid levels.

The latest figures for participation in the national breast screening programme show that the regions with the lowest participation rates are Waikato with 56.3 per cent participation, Tairāwhiti with 58.7 per cent participation, Northland with 63 per cent participation and the Bay of Plenty with 63.3 per cent. BreastScreen Aotearoa’s target is at least 70 per cent participation.

Donations towards the new pink campervan can be made online at www.breastcancerfoundation.org.nz.