Wednesday, September 10, 2008
National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week.
This week, Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo is joining with the Kentucky Commission on Women to recognize National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, September 8-12. This initiative not only raises awareness about cervical cancer’s unfortunate prevalence in Kentucky, but kicks off a statewide commitment to changing the grade of women’s health in the Commonwealth.
“Cervical cancer is a disease facing thousands of women each year,” said Lieutenant Governor Mongiardo. “In the United States alone, 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,000 will lose their lives in the fight against this disease. What’s more, Kentucky women are at a higher risk than the national average for cervical cancer—especially in our most rural and underserved communities. The time for action is now.”
The week’s activities have connected leaders from sundry avenues of expertise to work together in the fight against cervical cancer.
Monday, the Lieutenant Governor, Second Lady Mongiardo and Commission on Women Executive Director Eleanor Jordan travelled to hospitals and health departments from Pikeville to Paducah talking with doctors, community leaders and citizens about the importance of combating this disease.
Yesterday, college campuses—including University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Murray State University and Northern Kentucky University—joined in the fight against cervical cancer by staging informational booths at their schools with pamphlets, readings and literature—getting the message out to young women about the importance of screenings.
Today, Kentucky’s business community joined in awareness efforts. Businesses statewide have been given informational tags containing statistics, information and resources to hand out to customers in order to increase awareness about this all too prevalent disease.
As the culminating event of the week, the Kentucky Commission on Women will hold the first annual Women’s Health Summit. This two day event will feature innumerable opportunities not only to discuss the issue of cervical cancer in Kentucky, but will offer solutions and ways to turn around all avenues of women’s health here in the Commonwealth. The summit will feature panels, guest speakers and working groups covering a range of topics, from Battling Cancer in the Public Eye to The Power of Art in the treatment of illness.
“The Kentucky Commission on Women not only is keenly aware of the dismal cervical cancer statistics in Kentucky, we are also keenly aware that overall women’s health and well-being should become a front burner issue,” said Executive Director Eleanor Jordan. “The National Law Center reports that on the report card of women’s health our grade is an F in most categories. This is not only alarming, it is simply unacceptable. A woman is more likely to move into old age alone, infirmed, and impoverished. We are the primary caretakers of children and extended family….we are 52% of the Kentucky population. It just makes good sense—we can’t really move Kentucky forward without formulating a woman-centered approach in our public health policy.”
“Cervical cancer is a disease facing thousands of women each year,” said Lieutenant Governor Mongiardo. “In the United States alone, 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,000 will lose their lives in the fight against this disease. What’s more, Kentucky women are at a higher risk than the national average for cervical cancer—especially in our most rural and underserved communities. The time for action is now.”
The week’s activities have connected leaders from sundry avenues of expertise to work together in the fight against cervical cancer.
Monday, the Lieutenant Governor, Second Lady Mongiardo and Commission on Women Executive Director Eleanor Jordan travelled to hospitals and health departments from Pikeville to Paducah talking with doctors, community leaders and citizens about the importance of combating this disease.
Yesterday, college campuses—including University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Murray State University and Northern Kentucky University—joined in the fight against cervical cancer by staging informational booths at their schools with pamphlets, readings and literature—getting the message out to young women about the importance of screenings.
Today, Kentucky’s business community joined in awareness efforts. Businesses statewide have been given informational tags containing statistics, information and resources to hand out to customers in order to increase awareness about this all too prevalent disease.
As the culminating event of the week, the Kentucky Commission on Women will hold the first annual Women’s Health Summit. This two day event will feature innumerable opportunities not only to discuss the issue of cervical cancer in Kentucky, but will offer solutions and ways to turn around all avenues of women’s health here in the Commonwealth. The summit will feature panels, guest speakers and working groups covering a range of topics, from Battling Cancer in the Public Eye to The Power of Art in the treatment of illness.
“The Kentucky Commission on Women not only is keenly aware of the dismal cervical cancer statistics in Kentucky, we are also keenly aware that overall women’s health and well-being should become a front burner issue,” said Executive Director Eleanor Jordan. “The National Law Center reports that on the report card of women’s health our grade is an F in most categories. This is not only alarming, it is simply unacceptable. A woman is more likely to move into old age alone, infirmed, and impoverished. We are the primary caretakers of children and extended family….we are 52% of the Kentucky population. It just makes good sense—we can’t really move Kentucky forward without formulating a woman-centered approach in our public health policy.”
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 6:50 PM 
