Cancer: A Partnership for Prevention
Focused on addressing the tremendous cancer inequities faced by American Indian and Alaska Native communities, The American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF), a national, 501(c)3 non-profit organization, works with multiple partners to reduce this cancer burden by raising awareness, building capacity, and identifying solutions.
When AICAF was searching for a collaborative partner for a project aimed at decreasing the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers among American Indians and Alaska Natives, they reached out to Annie-Laurie McRee, DrPH, FASHM, an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatrics and Adolescent Health at the UMN’s Medical School. McRee’s research focus on HPV vaccination and adolescent immunizations, was an immediate fit.
Combining AICAF’s extensive knowledge of American Indian communities and health systems, with McRee’s expertise in HPV vaccination, adolescent health services, and survey development, led to the submission of a grant proposal to the UMN’s Program in Health Disparities Research. The grant, which was funded in 2017, focuses on developing a culturally-tailored HPV vaccination communication training for tribal clinics that serve American Indian adolescents, an often underserved population. "HPV vaccination has the potential to eliminate or drastically reduce the incidence of multiple cancers, most notably cervical cancer, which disproportionately affects American Indians,” McRee said.
Building upon this new partnership, AICAF and McRee will continue to make project enhancements and further their reach in Indian Country, including producing a "back-to-school" vaccination resource package for clinics.
For more information on the American Indian Cancer Foundation, please visit their website: https://www.americanindiancancer.org or find them on Facebook.
For more information on the Program in Health Disparities Research, please visit their website: https://www.healthdisparities.umn.edu
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American Indian women are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer compared to White women. This January, AICAF is commemorating Cervical Cancer Awareness Month by sharing their educational resources with tribal partners and across social media. Throughout the month they will host a Turquoise Tuesday Facebook event, two cervical cancer webinars, and a live Twitter chat to help raise awareness.