The University of New Mexico's Comadre a Comadre program, housed in the College of Education, plans to expand its Breast Health Pláticas project after receiving a one-year, $25,000 grant from the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation supported 12 different projects across the nation through its community grants program. The projects were required to focus on increasing cancer prevention and early detection in communities across the United States. Many of the projects selected will directly impact underserved populations in both urban and rural areas where access to cancer prevention and early detection services are sparse.

Comadre a Comadre plans to offer breast health education classes to at least 300 Hispanic women/Latinas. This project will span across two additional counties (Valencia and Sandoval). These classes are held in churches, community centers, family rooms, places of businesses and other locations.

"This grant will enable us to reach women beyond Bernalillo County so that we can educate more women on the early detection of breast cancer and the resources available for those women who have no insurance or are underinsured and are in need of screening or are experiencing breast problems,” said Comadre a Comadre Director Elba L. Saavedra Ferrer.

UNM's Comadre a Comadre program created the Breast Health Pláticas community-based project in an effort to educate and raise awareness about the early detection of breast cancer among Hispanic/Latinas. The educational sessions are implemented using an evidence-based breast and cervical cancer curriculum and are conducted by trained Peer Educators who are also breast cancer survivors and are representative of the community.

The sessions are offered in an informal conversational and culturally appropriate format, and also offer navigation services for medical appointments for the women who request assistance. The project aims to increase breast cancer knowledge by 80 percent among participants.

The Comadre a Comadre program was created to empower the lives of Hispanic/Latina women and their loved ones through advocacy, education, information, resources,  support  and research about breast health and breast cancer.

For more information, visit Comadre a Comadre or contact via email comadre@unm.edu.