A team of medical students and specialists from the Clínica Universidad de Navarra are traveling to Ecuador to improve the quality of life and health of vulnerable communities
project . Alma, held for the second consecutive year on the Santa Elena Peninsula, focuses on the prevention of cervical cancer, breast cancer, and metabolic diseases associated with cardiovascular risk.
09 | 09 | 2026
group A group of medical students and professionals from the Clínica Universidad de Navarra traveled to the Santa Elena Peninsula in Ecuador over the summer to carry out a new edition of the Alma “ project .” For 15 days, the team, led by Dr. Luis Chiva, traveled to various communities in the area, treating patients with the goal s of improving their quality of life and health, with a special focus on preventing diseases that are highly prevalent in the region, such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, and various metabolic conditions associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
This project is made possible thanks to the work collaboration between the University of Navarra, Solca (Ecuadorian Society for the Fight Against Cancer), and Savinco, a business social enterprise dedicated to promoting training and financial independence in the communities of area.
During the campaign, the students put what they had learned in the classroom into practice in the field at internship : the team provided care to nearly 550 people through community consultations, health Education , risk factor monitoring, and cervical cancer prevention efforts. In addition, some 325 women participated in the human papillomavirus screening program.
In communities where access to regular medical checkups is limited, early detection of this subject of diseases can make a decisive difference in patients’ prognoses. For this reason, in addition to providing consultations and one-time checkups, the team also carried out health awareness and Education initiatives, promoting lasting preventive habits.
The trip aimed to lay the instructions for a stable and lasting partnership with the region—one that would not end with this visit but would extend over time. For this reason, the team also conducted training sessions for staff local healthcare workers and helped strengthen the resources available for the diagnosis and treatment of precancerous lesions, so that screening and follow-up for these women could continue after the volunteer activities concluded.