Mammograms Delivered To The Community's Doorstep: Banco Nacional Promotes Early Breast Cancer Detection Alongside Alsalus

(MENAFN- Costa Rica News) The post Mammograms Delivered To The Community's Doorstep: Banco Nacional Promotes Early Breast Cancer Detection Alongside Alsalus appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

Kattia Silva recalls feeling nervous when she first stepped into the Alsalus mobile mammography unit that arrived in Los Chiles.

She didn't know exactly what the exam would be like, and like many women, she had had to wait months for an appointment. However, the opportunity arose earlier than expected when the campaign came to her community.

“It's a new experience because it's the first time I've had it done. I'm a little nervous, but it's all for the sake of our health. It's a quick, painless process and, apart from that, beneficial because it's a very good project they're carrying out. My appointment was for the end of the year, then the campaign came along, so I took advantage of it and had it done right away. Now I don't have to wait so long,” she said.

Like her, thousands of women living in remote communities have found in the mobile units of the Alliance for Your Health (Alsalus) a possibility of access to early detection of breast cancer.

Alsalus is made up of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), Clínica Bíblica, Auto Mercado, Fundación Aliarse, and now Banco Nacional, which is joining as a strategic partner to strengthen the reach of this multisectoral alliance focused on early detection of breast cancer.

The two mobile mammography units visit communities with geographical access problems, which are located far from health centers, providing screening that can make the difference between timely treatment and late diagnosis.

From 2011 to 2025, Alsalus has performed more than 70,000 mammograms, visiting all seven provinces of Costa Rica and traveling more than 29,000 kilometers with its two mobile mammography units.

This year, the goal is to perform 5,500 mammograms in coordination with the CCSS National Breast Screening Program.

Each year, around 15 health areas are visited, and demand continues to grow.

For Silvia Chaves, director of Brand Experience and Corporate Relations at BN, participation in this alliance responds to a comprehensive vision of women's well-being.

“51% of BN's client portfolio is made up of women, who have taken full advantage of the specialized services provided by the Bank to finance their business and personal projects. We know that, in addition to financial health, physical and emotional well-being are vital for progress. We have joined forces with Alsalus because it offers thousands of women the opportunity to detect breast cancer early, which has one of the highest incidence rates in Costa Rica. The empowerment of women must encompass all aspects of their lives. We have supported them financially, and today we are also part of efforts to empower them in their health,” he said.

Further proof of the impact of this initiative is Deney Peraza, from Paquera, who experienced firsthand what early detection means.

For years, she had felt a“lump” in her right breast, but work and the idea that it wasn't serious made her put off getting it checked out.

It was when the mobile unit arrived in her community that she decided to have a mammogram.

“From then on, my world changed completely, because for me, cancer meant death,” she said.

After further tests and a process that moved quickly, she received treatment.

“I thank God that I had that test done in time, because today, they didn't remove my breast, they just did the operation, they removed the small tumor, but I thank God that I got there in time.”

Dinorah Jiménez, a resident of the Cisneros intersection in Sarapiquí, also shared her experience:“Thank God I had the mammogram in time because it didn't hurt, but it was growing in my breast, and through the doctors at Río Frío, I had this done, and thank God I'm here, enjoying my little house, my family, and moving forward.”

With the support of the National Bank, the alliance seeks to expand its reach and invite more companies to join this collaborative effort and ensure the sustainability of the second mobile unit starting in 2026, which is key to increasing coverage and further reducing access gaps.

Those interested can make their donation via SINPE Móvil at 8466-3888, in the name of Fundación para la Sostenibilidad y la Equidad. In addition, companies that want to be part of this alliance can write to ....

The post Mammograms Delivered To The Community's Doorstep: Banco Nacional Promotes Early Breast Cancer Detection Alongside Alsalus appeared first on The Costa Rica News.

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