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Mammograms today for 15 Donegal women 03.03.08

FIFTEEN women from the Donegal Travellers' Project will travel to Belfast today for mammograms with Action Cancer Northern Ireland.
The visit is part of the Donegal Travellers' Project ongoing primary health care programme and the HSE's bid to reduce the mammogram waiting list in the county.
The Donegal Travellers' Project will give a nominal donation to Action Cancer for the fifteen mammograms.
Angela O‘Leary, one of the team who organised the event said it was the first time a group of Traveller women had used the cross-border service.
"It saddens us to see that these services are not available here on our doorstep. This type of service should be available locally for all women over 40. Mammograms lead to early detection and save lives," said Ms. O'Leary.
One of the women making the journey on Monday added: "I would never have known about the service except that the primary health care project came out to visit me. Also, I don’t drive and I'm delighted to be going as part of a group from my own community. "
Other recent Donegal Travellers' Project initiatives on women’s health include talks on the importance of breast checks and self examination. In April, cholesterol screening, blood sugar and heart checks will be carried out on Traveller women in the Letterkenny area.
Meanwhile, primary health care project co-ordinator, Paula Leonard said the group would continue to lobby for better health services for all women in the county.
Citing early detection as crucial to breast cancer survival rates, Ms. Leonard said the lack of screening in Donegal was "quite literally, a matter of life and death".

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