Tijuana’s municipal health department is offering free mammograms to women aged 40 and older through June 30, part of a broader cancer screening push that also includes free Pap smears for women 25 and older. The campaign, called “Tu Salud, Nuestra Prioridad” (Your Health, Our Priority), runs at municipal health centers across the city and requires no appointment fee or insurance.
Breast Cancer Kills Over 7,000 Mexican Women Per Year
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Mexican women. Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) recorded more than 7,800 deaths from the disease in 2022. Baja California consistently ranks among the states with higher breast cancer mortality rates, in part because of limited access to early screening in border communities.
Mammography coverage in Mexico remains low compared to OECD countries. A 2023 report from Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health found that only about 22% of women aged 40 to 69 in Mexico had received a mammogram in the previous two years. That figure trails the OECD average of roughly 60%. In Baja California, public health infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the state’s rapid population growth, which reached 3.77 million in the 2020 census.
Municipal campaigns like Tijuana’s aim to close that gap. The city’s DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), the municipal social services agency, and its health department have partnered on similar drives before. But this year’s campaign is notable for combining mammograms and cervical screenings in a single push, lowering the barrier for women who might otherwise skip one or both.
Cervical cancer screening is also critical in Mexico, where the disease kills roughly 4,000 women annually. The Pap smear component targets women 25 and older. Both services are available at Tijuana’s network of municipal health clinics, including those in the Zona Este and Zona Centro areas.
Screenings Available at Municipal Clinics Across Tijuana
The campaign runs through June 30, 2025. Women can access services at any of Tijuana’s municipal health centers during regular business hours. No prior appointment is required for the initial visit, though follow-up scheduling may vary by clinic. The city’s health department has urged women to bring a government-issued ID, though officials have said no one will be turned away for lack of documentation.
For English-speaking residents who use Tijuana’s public health system, the campaign is straightforward to access. Municipal clinics operate on a walk-in basis for these screenings. The city has promoted the campaign through social media channels and local outreach workers in colonias with high uninsured populations.
Tijuana’s public health system serves a metro area of roughly 2.2 million people. The city operates more than 20 municipal health units spread across its delegaciones. While private mammography in Tijuana typically costs between 800 and 1,500 pesos (roughly $45 to $85 USD), the municipal campaign eliminates that cost entirely.
Early detection dramatically improves breast cancer survival rates. When caught at stage one, the five-year survival rate exceeds 90%. At stage four, it drops below 30%. Mexico’s public health system has historically diagnosed breast cancer at later stages than countries with higher screening rates, making free campaigns a key intervention.
The campaign also reflects a broader push by Tijuana’s municipal government under Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz to expand preventive health services. The city’s 2024-2027 municipal development plan listed cancer screening access as a priority for its health department. Burgueño took office in October 2024.
Women who receive abnormal results during the screening will be referred to Baja California’s state health system or IMSS (Mexico’s social security health system) for follow-up diagnostics and treatment. The referral process can take several weeks, so early participation in the campaign gives patients more time to navigate next steps before the program ends.
The campaign runs through June 30 at municipal health centers citywide. Details are available through Tijuana’s official social media pages and the municipal health department’s offices on Boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas. This story was first reported by El Imparcial.