Health

CHC and Merck partner to advance more equitable health outcomes in breast and cervical cancer care in Black, Hispanic, and other underserved populations

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Advancing more equitable health outcomes in breast and cervical cancer care for Black and Hispanic women

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for Black women, while Hispanic women experience the highest cervical cancer rates in the U.S.


ALEXANDRIA, Va. (PRWEB)

Today, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities (CHC) announced a new initiative to tackle social and structural barriers to breast and cervical cancer prevention, screening, and support services in Atlanta, Georgia. Through a partnership with Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), women and girls in the Black, Hispanic and other underserved populations will benefit from a comprehensive, community-driven service approach to address complex social and economic factors, known as social determinants of health.

“We’re working together to address disparities by identifying and targeting barriers to early and routine breast and cervical cancer screenings—a proven intervention that can save lives,” said Valerie L. Rochester, chief health equity officer at CHC. “Merck and CHC share a joint goal to increase trust, access and availability of screening services, improve rates of early detection and diagnosis, and connect people with community-based support services.”

Breast cancer and cervical cancer incidence in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past ten years with a disproportionate impact on underserved communities. Among Black women, breast cancer is the leading cause of death, while Hispanic/Latina women experience the highest cervical cancer incidence rates of any racial/ethnic group in the U.S.

“Pursuing equitable access to health is deeply embedded in our company’s DNA and reflected in our Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) commitments. We are excited that this collaboration with CHC builds on our current efforts and will strengthen local capacity in underserved communities,” said Carmen Villar, VP of social business innovation at Merck.

In Atlanta, Black women are 39% more likely to die from breast cancer and Hispanic women are 30% more likely to die from cervical cancer than women of other races/ethnicities. This new program will enhance community-based organizations’ capacity to scale testing, screening and impact with the end goal to improve health outcomes for breast, cervical, and vaccine-preventable cancers.

“Our aim is for communities everywhere to get quality, respectful care that is timely, clinically appropriate and culturally attuned so that they have the opportunity to live their healthiest lives,” said Mary-Ann Etiebet, AVP of health equity at Merck.

CHC is committed to implementing community-driven and community-informed approaches based on the lived experiences, needs and concerns of women in the most affected communities. Learn more equitable cancer outcomes or CHC’s other health equity work.

ABOUT CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

CHC: Creating Healthier Communities brings nonprofits, businesses and communities together to improve community health. Our focus is health equity, addressing underlying issues and removing barriers so everyone can thrive. Our work is driven by community need, and we direct programs, resources and support where they have the greatest impact. Together with partners, we’ve been creating healthier communities for more than 65 years. Join us at chcimpact.org or @chcimpact.

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