NCLR’s Cervical Cancer Prevention Program Takes Top Honors

By Manuela McDonough, Program Manager, Institute of Hispanic Health, NCLR

Luck is in the air in San Francisco this week. Not only did the Giants sweep the World Series earlier this week, but NCLR (National Council of La Raza) received an award from the American Public Health Association (APHA) for a cervical cancer prevention program we developed. Thousands of public health professionals are in the Bay area for the week attending the 140th APHA Annual Meeting & Expo, the largest gathering of public health professionals in the world with a focus on current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health.

With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCLR created a program, titled “Mujer Sana, Familia Fuerte” (Strong woman, Strong Family), that is a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education program for Latinas about the importance of engaging in early cancer screenings. With rates of cervical cancer affecting Latinas disproportionately high, we’ve seen an urgent need for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate health educational materials that address cervical cancer among Latinas in an innovative and creative way. The program provides promotores de salud (lay health educators) with training and a bilingual tool kit for educational sessions within Hispanic neighborhoods in Chicago and Washington, D.C. At NCLR, we are doing all that we can to ensure that health materials are providing messages that are effective with the Latino community to make a long-term impact.

The award-winning program was selected from a competitive pool for demonstrating innovation in materials targeting a specific population. Focus groups helped determine the best approach and terminology for increasing knowledge and changing behavior related to cancer screening in a way that would resonate with Latinos. The bilingual tool kit—which includes a flip chart and handouts on local resources—is designed for promotores to use during one-hour charlas (health education sessions) in their communities.

NCLR is thrilled to have received this award from APHA. Given that the cervical cancer rates among Hispanics are nearly twice that of non-Hispanic Whites, this award highlights how important it is for public health programs to take cultural issues into consideration, work with community leaders, and use bilingual materials. We look forward continuing our efforts to address the health needs of our community.