The Global Fight Against Cancer

American Cancer Society Awarded Grant to Work with Vietnam Businesses on Tobacco Control

The American Cancer Society has been awarded a two-year grant by Atlantic Philanthropies to fight the tobacco burden in Vietnam. The Society will team up with the Vietnam Committee on Smoking and Health (VINACOSH) to develop a national tobacco control media advocacy strategy and build strategic partnerships with community-based groups, the business sector, and the donor community. The project aims to provide the tools to implement tobacco policies in Vietnam and increase the capacity and coordination of the public health community to respond to the burden of tobacco death and disease in Vietnam.

American Cancer Society’s India Cancer Initiative Launches New Web Site

The India Cancer Initiative project reached a major milestone with the official launch of a Web site for the initiative at a special screening of the Atlanta Indo-American Film Festival held at the High Museum of Art on October 3. The Web site, primarily aimed at the Asian Indian community living in the US, provides information on the cancer crisis in India, the American Cancer Society’s efforts to address the India cancer burden, and ways that the community can contribute to the cause. The American Cancer Society launched the India Cancer Initiative to further its reach on the global fight against cancer, providing a platform to empower Indians to make informed decisions around cancer treatment, prevention, and early detection; reduce tobacco use through tobacco cessation programs; and improve the quality of life of cancer patients by addressing their physical, psychological, and social needs. The American Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division spearheaded the creation and launch of the Web site, and it has taken a leadership role in helping promote the Web site among the Asian Indian community in the United States. For more information on the India Cancer Initiative, please visit www.cancer.org/indiainitiative

American Cancer Society Receives Generous Gift for the India Cancer Initiative

   
Dr. Ravi Patel

Dr. Ravi Patel and the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Centers (CBCC) in Bakersfield, California, announced a generous Pioneer Gift to the American Cancer Society India Cancer Initiative on Wednesday, October 1, at the Kern County Annual Awards Dinner in California. Two local TV stations, KGET Channel 17 (NBC) and KBAK TV Channel 29 (CBS), covered the event. The gift provides critical support to launch a comprehensive cancer information program in Ahmedabad, a city in the Indian state of Gujarat. CBCC is a longtime donor, which has contributed more than $600,000 to the American Cancer Society California Division, supporting various cancer control initiatives and serving as a strong program partner in the local community. Patel demonstrates a commitment to people with cancer in the United States and around the world, sharing the importance of the American Cancer Society's leadership in the global fight against cancer with a wide range of audiences. Education, early detection, and access to information and resources are all key elements of the Society’s India Initiative. David Veneziano, chief executive officer of the Society’s California Division, praised the leadership and generosity of the Patel family and the CBCC.

American Cancer Society Commends India for the Implementation of Its Smoke-Free Law

The American Cancer Society applauds the government of India for their leadership on the implementation of the country’s smoke-free law. The law, which took effect on October 2, will ensure that workers are no longer risking their lives by being exposed to secondhand smoke while at work. The American Cancer Society is committed to working with our partners to reduce the cancer burden in India, where tobacco use remains the single leading cause of cancer in the country. The Society has worked closely with tobacco control advocates in India for almost a decade, helping them to establish advocacy principles and to work cooperatively toward the smoke-free law. In addition, the Society held key workshops that were instrumental to the passage of the smoke-free law. This work with tobacco control advocates is one of several ways in which the American Cancer Society is engaging with civil society in India to fight cancer and tobacco use.

American Cancer Society Participates in Symposium on Breast Cancer Hosted by the White House and US State Department

Marc Hurlbert (left) and Maira Caleffi (right)

American Cancer Society partners Maira Caleffi, director of oncology services at Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil, and Marc Hurlbert, director of the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, were panelists at the Symposium on Breast Cancer Global Awareness convened October 7 at the Blair House in Washington, DC. The symposium, hosted by the White House and US State Department, gave panelists the opportunity to discuss the importance of governmental and nongovernmental collaboration to achieve a cure for breast cancer and to reduce global suffering caused by the disease. Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, called on all US ambassadors abroad and those ambassadors representing foreign countries in the US and elsewhere to take action in support of breast cancer control efforts. The symposium was followed by a ceremony on the north lawn of the White House, the “Lighting of the White House,” hosted by Laura Bush, during which the White House was illuminated in pink to highlight global commitment to breast cancer awareness. The American Cancer Society supports this commitment with global research, education, and advocacy efforts designed to defeat the disease.

American Cancer Society Supports Leadership Development for the Cancer Foundation of India

Left to right: Soumita Ray, American Cancer Society fellow; Smritikana Ghosh, American Cancer Society fellow; Patricia P. Hoge, RN, PhD, chief mission officer, American Cancer Society South Atlantic Division; Navami Naik, lead manager, India Programs, American Cancer Society South Atlantic Division

The American Cancer Society’s South Atlantic Division (SAD) hosted a fellowship program for two staff members from the Cancer Foundation of India (CFI), a leading cancer control nongovernmental organization in Kolkata, India. The fellows, Smritikana Ghosh, a social worker coordinating CFI's cervical cancer screening projects, and Soumita Ray, the coordinator of CFI's breast cancer program supported by the American Cancer Society, "Women in Pink," took part in a two-week fellowship program centered on mission delivery. They had the opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices in patient services and outreach with SAD staff and volunteers, and learned more about SAD’s call center and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, as well as programs to engage youth in the cancer cause. The Society’s International Affairs Department has worked over the past three years to secure support from the Society’s Divisions to host fellowships like the one done by CFI. This collaborative effort draws from the experience of the field and supports the global strategies of building leadership skills and extending the networks of the international cancer community. SAD has collaborated with CFI since 2006, when the Division hosted its first fellowship program for the executive director of the organization, Sutapa Biswas.

American Cancer Society Receives Three-year Grant to Raise Awareness of Breast Cancer in Brazil

The American Cancer Society has received a three-year grant from Roche Brazil to expand and enhance efforts on breast cancer awareness in Brazil, the largest country in Latin America. Breast cancer is currently the leading cancer killer among women in Brazil. The three-tiered program, named Brazil Breast Cancer Action, will focus on capacity building, patient support, and breast cancer awareness in the general public. Over three years, the American Cancer Society will work with leading cancer control nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and key cancer stakeholders in Brazil, providing grants, customized trainings for NGOs, media summits for journalists, and patient navigation and survivor support services. To help create a cohesive national effort and avoid duplication of efforts of various stakeholders, the American Cancer Society will coordinate these efforts with existing programs being implemented by international cancer control groups such as the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

New Web Site Connects Latin American Cancer Control NGOs

RedCancer is a new Web site that promotes increased networking and the exchange of best practices in the fight against cancer among Latin American cancer control nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This Web site is supported by the American Cancer Society as part of the Society’s three-year Latin America Regional Health Grants Program. Fourteen NGOs that have participated in American Cancer Society University (ACSU) trainings are already connected through this publically accessible Web site. The site allows NGO users to share their insights on such subjects as fundraising, volunteerism, and advocacy through a blog; there’s also an area for uploading documents, presentations, project summaries, and event pictures. In addition, the NGOs have promoted press coverage of the Web site, which has generated more than 50 media stories in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Venezuela. To learn more about RedCancer, visit www.RedCancer.org. To view a recent news report on RedCancer that appeared in Spanish on Argentine television, please visit Un Sitio Web Para Pacientes con Cáncer.