INTERNATIONAL singer, actress and health activist Sheryl Lee Ralph has appealed to Jamaican women to unite in the fight against breast cancer by finding creative means to fund-raise and procure supports to purchase a new van for the mobile mammography unit of the Jamaica Cancer Society.

“Women all over the country are in need of assistance in accessing mammograms, and I am calling on women in Jamaica to find a creative way to ensure that no woman is deprived of early detection because they are unable to access these machines,” Ralph said.

Recounting a visit made to the island 15 years ago, Ralph, who was the guest speaker at this year’s Keeping Abreast Luncheon last week, said that Jamaica is in need of an additional mobile mammography machinery because the one that the Jamaica Cancer Society provided at the time is now old and understandably at the end of its production life.

“Fifteen years ago in this very month I remember when we made the announcement that there would be a mobile van moving across the island. Do you know that this is still the only one? It’s wearing down and there is an obvious need for a new one,” Ralph stated.

She said that a new mammography mobile van is necessary to ensure that Jamaica does not enter a predicament wherein women are forced to make appointments for their mammograms five years in advance. This she said could be the case, especially in light of the increase in efforts to educate the populace on the importance of breast examinations.

“Women in Jamaica must come together … from the north coast to the south coast must come together to ensure that women across the island have access to mammography. It is important, we must take care of each other, somebody needs a mammogram,” Ralph said.

The call was supported by Yulit Gordon, executive director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, who admitted that the mobile mammography van is indeed on its final lap, and this has also added to the expenses of the society.

“The van is indeed at the end of its product cycle and this has hampered our ability to reach a wider cross section of people. It is also proving to be more expensive in its present state. Each time the unit goes out, the van as well as the mammography unit has to be serviced; this could run an average of $2 million annually.

She praised Ralph for seeing the need and making the appeal on behalf of the cancer society.

The fund-raising luncheon which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, has been used by the Jamaica Cancer Society, a non-profit, non-government organisation with a core mandate to fight and defeat cancer in all forms and a mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem in Jamaica, to procure funds in an effort to educate, provide public awareness as well as to facilitate ongoing cancer treatments.