BREAST ADVOCATES INTERNATIONAL

Description

Our objective: Collaborate with existing programs in locales without benefit of breast screening/diagnostics to reduce morbidity and mortality thought early detection and timely diagnostics and treatment.

1. Train trusted members of each village to perform basic clinical breast exams (cbe) to identify breast anomalies. Standardize findings through Comprehensive Breast Exam (CBE) for reporting and monitoring progress and data retrieval.
2. Employ NAVIGATION as a system to move patients through identified and created resources.

In place already is a partnership with Malawi’s Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) with the Diocese of Mangochi who submitted approval for a Comprehensive Breast Exam (CBE) and basic patient Navigation training completed in May, 2018, targeting remote communities without resources for early breast cancer detection. The rural population based data is incomplete, though commonly held that the high mortality (100%) from breast cancer is due to lack of education, transportation, cultural stigmas, lack of support and other barriers to care. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in women in Mangochi. We have a strong and growing cooperation with the local ministry of health and the Catholic Church which are the main source of medical and educational venues to give this program the sustainability needed.