The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
e-mail: scarr@unm.edu

June 5, 2008

UNM’s Comadre A Comadre Program Benefits from Grant

The University of New Mexico’s Comadre A Comadre program in the College of Education was recently awarded a $25,000 grant by the Central New Mexico Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fund its “Partnering with Community to Raise Awareness about Breast Health and Breast Cancer Among Hispanic/Latina Women” program.

This new grant effort will be spearheaded through Comadre A Comadre which will provide free breast health education classes to Hispanic/Latina women on the importance of early detection and link them with the proper community resource to ensure free or lost cost mammograms, expeditious and proper follow-up in the early detection and screening for breast cancer.

According to the 2007 New Mexico Facts and Figures published by the New Mexico Department of Health, the most common cancer among New Mexico Hispanic/ Latina women is breast cancer. Yet, Hispanic/Latina women are most likely to never have a mammogram. Hispanic/Latina women often face barriers to treatment, including transportation problems, language obstacles and unfamiliarity with the hospital systems, all of which contribute to significantly poorer health outcomes.

Comadre A Comadre, which is housed in CoE’s Department of Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences area, is committed to empowering the lives of Hispanic/Latina women and their loved ones through advocacy, education, information, resources, and support about breast health and breast cancer.

“We are very grateful to the CNM Affiliate of Komen for the Cure, their sponsors, and its board members for this grant opportunity. We feel it is very important to not just educate women about the early detection of breast cancer but to ensure that they know that these low-cost or free screening services are available and to link them expeditiously” said Elba Saavedra, research assistant professor and Comadre director.

The grant couldn’t have come at a better time as the Susan G. Komen Foundation is prepares for its annual “Race for the Cure” on June 15 at Balloon Fiesta Park. Interested participants can register for the 9 th Annual Komen Central New Mexico Race for the Cure at: http://www.komencnm.org/. Click on “Race for the Cure” for more details. The deadline to register online is June 10. For information about the Comadre A Comadre program or the “Race for the Cure,” contact Saavedra at (505) 277-3243.

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