Íslandsbanki is the primary sponsor of a campaign aimed at boosting women’s participation in breast cancer screening. In cooperation with the Icelandic Cancer Society, the Bank seeks companies’ assistance in purchasing a specialised digital appointment booking solution for the National – University Hospital’s Breast Cancer Centre.
One of the main barriers to participation in breast cancer screening is that women must book appointments on their own initiative. It is widely thought that simplifying the booking process would increase participation.
At present, participation in breast cancer screening is only 56%, whereas it should be at least 75%. Participation varies greatly by nationality. Women who are Icelandic citizens are more likely to participate (61%) than women who are foreign nationals, whose participation rate is only 18%.
Íslandsbanki has pledged to match every króna that is collected for this initiative.
There is much to be gained, as regular breast cancer screening is considered likely to reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 40%. On average, 266 women in Iceland are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, including 138 women under age 65.