Leaders to Present Strategies for Expanding Education, Awareness, and Advocacy
Amman – October 31, 2008 – The US-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research will host the first Middle East and North Africa Regional Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference October 31–November 2, 2008, at the Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel in Amman, Jordan. The conference marks another significant milestone in the collaborative efforts that began in 2006 when the Partnership was launched by United States First Lady Laura Bush. The goal of the Partnership is to reduce breast cancer mortality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by uniting local champions in the United States and the MENA region to exchange ideas, and collaborate on research, outreach, and awareness programs.
First of its kind conference in the Middle East
This conference will be the first of its kind in the Middle East, focusing on breast cancer through the lens of advocacy and awareness work. It will bring together more than 100 leading breast cancer advocates, survivors, government officials, and physicians from 15 MENA countries and the United States, representing over 30 organizations that range from national cancer societies to local support groups. The conference aims to foster dialogue about the challenges facing breast cancer advocates, open channels of communication between advocates, and teach strategies to improve the efficacy of efforts against breast cancer in participants’ communities.
“In the Middle East and North Africa, many women seek consultation or treatment at a late stage of the disease. Through the education, outreach, and advocacy initiatives conference participants launch, women in neighborhoods around the region will understand the importance of screening, early detection, and treatment.” said Kent Patton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US State Department.
Participants will hear remarks from keynote speakers like H.E. Dr. Salah Mawajadeh, Jordanian Minister of Health; HRH Princess Dina Mired, Honorary Chairperson of the Jordanian National Breast Cancer Committee; HRH Princess Ghida Tala, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation; Robert S. Beecroft, U.S. Ambassador to Jordan; Dr. Benjamin Anderson, chair and director of the Breast Health Global Initiative; Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®; as well as personal stories from survivors and regional advocates.
"Advocates and other participants in this first-ever conference are leading the way, inspiring change and putting into motion collaborative efforts to bring about recognition throughout the MENA region, and globally, that with early detection and access to quality treatment, breast cancer is a survivable disease,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
About the US–Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research
The US–Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research is a direct response to calls from women in the Middle East who are leading the fight against breast cancer, as they seek to promote broader collaboration in research and the exchange of information on effective strategies to raise awareness of the importance of early detection, and to achieve wide distribution of information about treatment options. For more information about the US-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research, visit www.bcpartnership.org.
About the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)
The U.S. Department of State, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), has brought the resources, experience, and the determination of the United States to bear in supporting this partnership. Since its founding in 2002, MEPI has set in motion more than 450 programs in 17 countries of the Middle East and in the Palestinian territories. Its partners include local and international non-governmental organizations, businesses, universities, international institutions, and, in some cases, the governments of the region themselves. For more information about the Middle East Partnership Initiative, please visit www.mepi.state.gov.
