AWCAA is Meeting the Breast Cancer Needs Among African Immigrants

African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association has been engaging women of African descent in breast cancer prevention in the Washington DC metropolitan area for 18 years. This is a result of AWCAA’s culturally appropriate and science-based approaches over the years. A comprehensive health promotion paradigm is in place as a result of  our commitment and sacrifice to see underprivileged and underserved African immigrant women courageously address breast cancer issues. AWCAA’s health promotion model emphasizes navigation, advocacy, treatment, and survivorship.

In its health promotion philosophy, the AWCAA enhances or reinvigorates preeminent health promotion theories that view health promotion as an unavoidable collective enterprise. The AWCAA’s community health promotion endeavors reminds us of some of the classic themes in health promotion: acceptability, affordability, accessibility, and availability.

The mosaic cultural dimension of women of African descent that eagerly reach out to AWCAA and commit to its mission encapsulates the uniqueness and importance attached to the organization among people of African descent in the Washington DC metropolitan area and beyond. It is empowering when people within and outside the metropolitan area contact the organization for guidance about cancer prevention opportunities, partnerships, or insights on starting a community-based cancer prevention program. For public and community health students from various universities, the organization has become an empowering learning platform. The fact that different health care systems partner with the AWCAA speaks volumes about its status as one of the leading forces in promoting health among people of African descent, mainly African immigrants.

On August 6, 2022 AWCAA in partnership with Breast Care for Washington organized mammogram screening at our headquarter office in Greenbelt Maryland. We are glad to serve the African immigrant community in ensuring that breast cancer is detected early and that those diagnosed with it are supported all through to recovery stage.

What has been said above is embodied in the comments made by people who have benefited from our services this month. Find below what they had to say.

Ms. Agano Frederick lives in Maryland and is originally, from Togo. She said, “My name is Nela Agano, I’m married and close to 40 years old. I got the information about the breast cancer screening program organized by AWCAA in church. Despite the distance between my home and the screening site, the organizers were able to provide me with transportation to and from the screening location. I met a team of professionals who did everything possible to make my experience pleasant. AWCAA has made health promotion services available to African immigrant families thereby helping to improve the health of households. We know that a breast cancer diagnosis does not just affect the ill person, it also impacts their households. Prevention is better than cure, as the saying goes. This is what the AWCAA does for us. I want to say thank you very much to AWCAA for the amazing work they do within the African immigrant community.”

Pastor Yao Efidogbe lives in Silver Spring, MD. Here is what he said after benefiting from our services, “I am Yao Efiadogbe, Pastor of Gedeon Church, working with French speaking African immigrants in the Silver Spring Maryland area and beyond.  Having learned of the breast cancer screening opportunities organized by the AWCAA, I decided to bring my wife, Afi KETEKOU, myself. My experience as a pastor has taught me how breast cancer, as well as other cancers affects the African immigrant community.  I recommend to our community leaders, mainly faith-based community leaders, within the Washington DC metropolitan area, to take advantage of the services offered by the AWCAA. I have decided to collaborate with AWCAA to help improve the health in our community. Thank you AWCAA.”

Ms. Plaingue lives in Silver Spring Maryland and is originally from the Ivory Coast. She said, “Pastor Adrien contacted me and told me about the work AWCAA is doing among immigrants. He told me that the AWCAA was organizing a breast cancer mammogram screening on August 6, 2022 and that the services that will be provided that day is free. I arrived the location on time and the reception and service were excellent. There were other immigrants of African origin there as well. Some women also came with their husbands. I encourage my African sisters to take advantage of the services provided by the AWCAA. We must be aware that breast cancer exists within our community, and that early detection saves lives.”