Free Cancer Screenings in Armenia
Without early cancer screenings, death rates from breast and cervical cancer in Armenia are among the highest in the world. Basic medical care in the remote, deeply impoverished Vardenis region has been virtually nonexistent, especially for vulnerable women and children. Most of the neglected population here was displaced from Azerbaijan and continues to experience border violence. Expectant mothers lack proper prenatal care. Birth rates are low. The lack of pure water is another major problem for almost all villages of the region.
This is beginning to change. Thanks to donor support, the Jinishian Memorial Program partnered with the Armenian-Canadian Health Care Center to send free mobile medical clinics to one village at a time, reaching nearly 600 women in 2016.
Most had gynecological disorders. Many obtained vital surgeries and began cancer treatment. Women desperate for medical intervention finally had an advocate with the expertise to shepherd them through the region’s poor healthcare system.
New plans for a telemedicine center in Vardenis will make an even greater impact. Supported by a local family physician, patients will have access to specialists through teleconferencing. Jinishian is also making ultrasound clinics widely available and training specialists to focus on infant disability prevention.
This initiative is funded solely with new donations. For every $42 donated, one woman will receive a free screening for breast and cervical cancers, a gynecological exam, and professional follow-up consultation. Those with identified cases will be referred for lab testing and treatment at specialized clinics as needed.
Each gift of $42 has the potential to save one more life. Thank you for your support allowing us to launch this important project!