Download Women`s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN)

Women’s Empowerment Cancer
Advocacy Network (WE CAN)
2014 East Africa WE CAN Breast and Cervical Cancer Advocacy,
Education and Outreach Summit
Allison Dvaladze, MPH
Abstract code: #317
Disclosure of Interest: None Declared
www.worldcancercongress.org
Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN)
2014 East Africa WE CAN Breast and Cervical Cancer Advocacy, Education and Outreach Summit
2014 WE CAN A+endee Affilia3on Advocacy organiza.on leader Community volunteer Government official Healthcare worker Background
Breast and cervical cancer are the leading causes of cancer death for
women in low-resource settings.
This has been attributed to a lack of awareness, late stage diagnosis
and limited access to care.
In an effort to address this, WE CAN and the U.S. NCI Center for
Global Health Women’s Cancer Program co-sponsored the 2014 WE
CAN Tanzania Summit in Dar es Salaam.
WE CAN has held 8 summits since 2003
Other Allison Dvaladze
Melbourne, 4, December 2014
Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN)
2014 East Africa WE CAN Breast and Cervical Cancer Advocacy, Education and Outreach Summit
Aim
• WE CAN aims to strengthen the global women’s cancer advocacy
movement and to dispel damaging myths about cancer and
influence social norm and public policy change to ensure progress
toward reducing breast and cervical cancer-related mortality and
morbidity in low-resource settings.
Strategy
• Provide cancer and advocacy education
• Support growth of regional cancer survivor advocacy networks
• Facilitate capacity building, knowledge transfer and sharing of best
practices in cancer advocacy
Hypothesis
Allison Dvaladze
• The power of individual survivor advocates is multiplied through
regional networks that can be fostered through annual summits,
increased communication, knowledge acquisition and sharing of
best practices.
Melbourne, 4, December 2014
Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN)
Par3cipant-­‐reported knowledge acquisi3on “my knowledge of … increased” (%) Burden of disease/Risk Preven.on Early detec.on Strongly Agree Treatment Survivorship & pallia.ve care Agree Address barriers to care Neutral Advocacy Pa.ent support groups Disagree Interna.onal guidelines Strongly Disagree Engaging partners Professional/organiza.onal Public health policy 0 Allison Dvaladze
20 40 60 80 Outcomes & Lessons Learned
2014 East Africa WE CAN Breast and Cervical Cancer Advocacy, Education and Outreach Summit
Creation of Malagasy Union Against Cancer
Linkages between projects
Increased participation of disenfranchised
survivors
10 advocacy action plans
Survivor stories captured for video
HIV diagnosis preferable to cancer diagnosis
Melbourne, 4, December 2014
Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN)
2014 East Africa WE CAN Breast and Cervical Cancer Advocacy, Education and Outreach Summit
Advocacy
implementation
“This was an eye opener. I
have learned so much from
others about cancer and
survivorship.” -MD
“Civil society and survivor
advocacy groups need more
support in work plan
development and proposal
writing” -health advocate
Implement annual 9-month advocacy
planning and implementation program
Measure knowledge acquisition with
pre- and post-tests
Use stigma index to measure stigma
reduction
Sharing bestpractices
Involve more primary care providers
Stigma
“There is a great need to
educate nurses and doctors to
deal with stigma“ -survivor
advocate
Develop Stigma Toolkit
Allison Dvaladze
Melbourne, 4, December 2014