A push to get women checked for breast cancer in the Hokianga has seen a significant increase in the numbers being screened.
Hauora Hokianga and the free national breast screening programme, BreastScreen Aotearoa, have been working to ensure women in isolated communities are getting checked for the most common cancer among Maori women.
The two roopu work on building relationships in order to encourage wahine to visit the mobile units.
Kelly Scott-Ritchie, a BreastScreen Aotearoa kaimahi (worker), says before 2006 under half of wahine eligible for free screening (46 percent) were being checked for breast cancer in the Hokianga, which is below the Ministry of Health's 70 percent target.
Ms Scott-Richie said since the programme began, screening has now reached that target for all women.
