First Lady Laura Bush Joins Susan G. Komen For The Cure To Launch Global Promise Fund Assisting Women Worldwide

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 14 Mar 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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First Lady Laura Bush helped to launch the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Global Promise Fund at a Capitol Hill event to raise awareness of the organization's life-saving work and outline its new strategy of funding culturally sensitive, sustainable education and outreach programs around the world.

Members of the diplomatic community were present as Mrs. Bush delivered the keynote address and shared her personal perspective on the importance of educating women and their families around the globe. Special guest Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, a physician from Saudi Arabia who diagnosed her own breast cancer and is now a leading breast cancer advocate, also discussed her work with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in breaking the silence about breast cancer in her home country.

"Work that started in a living room in Dallas 25 years ago is saving the lives of women in Budapest, Dubai, Guadalajara, Jeddah, Rome and other cities around the world," Mrs. Bush said. "This is the story of Susan G. Komen for the Cure."

"Without a cure, an estimated 25 million women around the world will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the next 25 years - and 10 million could die from the disease," said Komen for the Cure President and CEO Hala Moddelmog. "Our new Global Promise Fund is specifically designed to allow donors - corporate and individual - to help fund targeted projects in specific countries around the world to address the growing global burden of breast cancer."

For more than 25 years, Mrs. Bush has actively participated in the breast cancer awareness movement, including serving as Honorary Co-Chair of Susan G. Komen for the Cure's landmark Global Advocate Summit in Budapest, Hungary last year. Mrs. Bush also led an historic tour of the Middle East last fall to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she launched the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Cancer Awareness and Research in collaboration with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, King Fahd Medical City, the Saudi Cancer Society, The U.S. Department of State and The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"I'm proud to be part of this historic campaign for good health for women worldwide," Mrs. Bush added. "I urge all the members of the diplomatic community who have joined us today to make breast cancer education and outreach priorities in your own countries. You can help break the silence."

Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Global Promise Fund will focus on the following priorities:

- Increasing breast health awareness and access to detection and treatment of breast cancer;
- Building detection and treatment infrastructure;
- Recruiting and staffing specialized fields like oncology and radiology;
- Serving breast cancer survivors and their families;
- Recruiting and training of lay ambassadors to promote breast cancer awareness and treatment options in underserved areas.

The launch of this Promise Fund will strengthen the organization's growing presence throughout the world. Last year, at the Global Advocate Summit, Komen launched The Global Initiative for Breast Cancer Awareness, a 10-country pilot program, to assist countries in decreasing breast cancer mortality rates. Countries participating in this initiative include Brazil, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Jordan, Mexico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

With $1 billion invested to fight breast cancer in the past 25 years, Komen pledged last year to invest another $2 billion in research and community-based programs within the next decade to dramatically decrease breast cancer incidence and deaths resulting from the disease.

Mrs. Bush closed her remarks to the diplomatic community by referring to Komen's worldwide efforts as "a force to be reckoned with."

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure