Funding Discussed in a Congressional Briefing
Liz Courtad, Director of The Brandie Rose Foundation was invited to Washington, D.C. on January 26 - 27th. with Tamika & Friends, a cervical cancer survivors' group, to participate in a Congressional briefing and advocate for increased funding for cervical cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
She, along with other advocates from Michigan, met with the Legislative Health Assistants in the offices of U.S. Senator Carl Levin, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Congressman Dave Camp.
They were excited to learn that each of these offices support continued funding for the Breast andCervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act of 1990. Although the program itself has been successful, data has shown that it only serves 7% of women who are eligible. In fact, some states run out of federal funding long before the budget calendar year ends. The program works, but it lacks adequate funding.
It is also our hope that HPV testing will soon become a commonplace tool to be used alongside of the Pap smear in the early detection, and treatment of abnormal cells in the cervix.
This year,11,000 women will be diagnosed with Cervical Cancer and 4,000 women will die from this disease! Women have a responsibility to each other to talk about Cervical Cancer, to encourage and educate the need for annual pap smears and HPV testing.
Cervical cancer can be prevented! No woman should lose their fertility or die from cervical cancer. We need to do more! We need to do better!
Left to right, Jessica Horste, U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Nancy Berman & Liz Courtad
A special thanks to U.S. Senator Carl Levin and his Legislative Correspondent, Sara Fitzwater