First Signs is a social initiative that strives to improve underserved women's understanding of their own health and access to the care they need. Based on the idea that awareness and access work hand in hand, the project tries to achieve both at once. A woman who does not recognise a symptom will not think of seeing a doctor, and a woman who does recognise it may still be unable to afford the consultation.
More specifically, the initiative will design a handbook covering the most common conditions affecting women at different stages of life, how symptoms are recognised, what screening is appropriate at each age, and how healthcare can be accessed. This will be accompanied by a directory of clinics, non-governmental organisations, online consultation services, and government programmes, gathering into one place resources that are currently scattered across departments and providers. These will then be distributed to the women who most need them, through community workshops delivered alongside a specialist in women's health, an expert-led webinar addressing common misconceptions, and a fundraiser covering consultations, diagnostic tests and transport to care. In this way, by pairing information with the means to take action, First Signs seeks to contribute to a future where a woman's health depends on what she knows and needs rather than on what she can afford.