Hands that Save Lives lands in Mexico

The first seven Tactile Examination Technicians (TETs) trained in Mexico will start practicing in hospitals and primary healthcare centers, starting their labor integration in the health system. With their well-developed sense of touch and the application of rigorous palpation protocols, they represent a clear example of social innovation at the service of public healthcare.  

These TETs are part of Mexico’s Manos que Salvan Vidas México (Hands that Save Lives) social innovation project, developed according to the German Discovering Hands model, which rigorously trains women with visual disabilities to put their tactile sensitivity into practice for the early detection of cancer.

Over the next 3 months, they will work as interns. After they complete their internships, they may practice as TETs professionally. However, while they complete their training, they are helping other women with rigorous 30-minute palpation examinations, during which they also raise awareness among patients about breast cancer, risk factors, and self-care measures. It is a major responsibility, since more than 5,000 women die of breast cancer each year in Mexico.

This CAF model was first adapted in Colombia and is now being replicated in Mexico jointly with AMADIVI IAP in partnership with the Secretariat of Health of the State of Veracruz, Promotora Social México, FOAL, the Veracruz State Cancerology Center, DIF Veracruz, the Veracruz Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion Center, the Public Health Institute of the Universidad Veracruzana, and Universidad Anáhuac de Xalapa, among others.