Published on October 13, 2010
Updated on February 13, 2018
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Among the reasons for this is inadequate screening. Although the rate of cervical cancer among Hispanic women is still higher than among white women, programs like ¡Celebremos la Vida! (Let’s Celebrate Life!) are contributing to a better future by increasing screening for cervical cancer. Many Hispanic women, especially newly-arrived immigrants, are either unaware or unable to access Medicaid or other government health insurance programs due to language barriers, illiteracy, poverty, and fear – leaving them isolated and without access to preventive care.
To combat this issue, in 1994, the Prevent Cancer Foundation began ¡Celebremos la Vida!, a culturally relevant, life saving program that provides free breast and cervical cancer education, screening and early detection to medically underserved Hispanic women in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and McHenry County, Illinois.
The hallmark of the Celebremos program is its unique partnerships with faith-based organizations and medical centers such as the Spanish Catholic Center and Georgetown Hospital in the District of Columbia. These partnerships ensure that Hispanic women receive cancer education, resources, follow-up care, emotional support and assistance navigating the complex healthcare system in their native language. As a result of the Celebremos program, hundreds of Hispanic women now feel free to seek information and make life-saving choices that promote wellness for themselves and their families.
In recognition of its development and continuing support of the Celebremos program, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has been selected as a City Finalist for the Stay Classy Charity of the Year Award. You can help recognize this important program by voting for the Prevent Cancer Foundation and then asking your colleagues, friends and family to vote for us as well.
All voting is online and will end on October 22nd so please support the Prevent Cancer Foundation by casting your vote today!
No Comments