BP MARKOWITZ TO HOST FORUM ON CULTURALLY TARGETED BREAST HEALTH OUTREACH

4:00 PM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2007
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL
209 JORALEMON STREET
BETWEEN COURT & ADAMS STREET

On Tuesday, January 23, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham will join the Maurer Foundation, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and the Greater Southern Brooklyn Health Coalition to host a breast cancer forum uniquely tailored to Brooklyn’s diverse population. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of breast health-related policies for immigrant, non-English speaking, physically challenged, and gay and lesbian groups in Brooklyn.

The forum, entitled Breaking Barriers: Communicating Breast Health Messages to Brooklyn's Diverse Communities, will highlight the best practices of five community-based organizations performing cancer education and outreach with a specific focus on the unique needs of the culturally diverse communities they serve. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the rationale for culturally specific healthcare strategies, and how these new approaches can help close the widening awareness and mortality gaps in Brooklyn and beyond.

The American Cancer Society estimates that breast cancer will afflict 1 in 8 women during their lifetimes, and the threat posed to Brooklyn women is particularly acute. Breast cancer was responsible for 10% of all cancer deaths in the borough last year, the highest such mortality rate in the city.