BreastScreen Victoria’s BreastScreen Bus came to GEGAC in May of this year – Aboriginal Health Team members Kayla Harrison and Carmel Hood, and artist Amanda Morgan who designed the shawls that are given to women who have a screening.
The Beautiful Shawl Project, a breast cancer screening campaign for Aboriginal women, won the Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Award at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards last month.
The Beautiful Shawl Project is a collaborative partnership between the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and BreastScreen Victoria.
GEGAC is one of 15 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) across Victoria that host visits from the BreastScreen Bus, as part of the Beautiful Shawl Project.
In each location, a local artist produces a design for customised screening shawls that the women take home with them after their screening.
The artwork on the shawl that is given to women in this area was designed by talented GunaiKurnai artist Amanda Morgan.
And we can see that the Beautiful Shawl Project is making a difference.
Supported by GEGAC Aboriginal Health Team members Carmel Hood and Kayla Harrison, 50 local Aboriginal women and 72 women in total had their regular breast cancer checks done when the mobile screening bus visited GEGAC in May this year.
This was a big increase in the number of women that were screened when the bus first visited GEGAC in 2022.
Of those 72 women to get screened, 24 were having their first breast screen.
“It’s great to see more of our women doing this important thing to prevent breast cancer,” said GEGAC Aboriginal Health Worker Carmel Hood. “I think awareness is growing in community that getting a breast screen is no drama. Hopefully women who have had their checks will tell their sisters and daughters and family members about it, and we’ll be able to keep increase the number of women that get a regular breast screen.”
“The higher the number of breast screens we’re able to get done, the smaller the number of Aboriginal women that will die of breast cancer. That’s what motivates us.”
Awhiora Nia Nia, GEGAC’s Executive Director of Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing, said the aim of the Beautiful Shawl Project was to provide a community-led, culturally-safe breast screening experience for Aboriginal women and provide a service that is driven by the needs of Aboriginal women.
“This shows us how powerful it is when we integrate Aboriginal culture with top-quality health care,” said Awhiora Nia Nia, GEGAC’s Executive Director of Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing. “Making sure all GEGAC services reflect and represent the culture of the GunaiKurnai people is a priority and will continue to be a priority, and the Beautiful Shawl Project is a wonderful example of what that can look like.”