National Alliance for Hispanic Health Selected by CDC to Lead National Network on Tobacco-Related and Cancer Health Disparities

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 11, 2014

“Cancer and tobacco use has had an impact on millions of American families. While we can do more than ever to address these critical health issues, even the best innovations to prevent and treat them have not benefitted everyone. We must do better and are launching an effort driven by community-based solutions to ensure the best health outcomes for all,” said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance).

The Alliance was selected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lead a national network to advance tobacco control and cancer prevention in underserved communities in eight of the ten National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) regions. The Alliance’s Nuestras Voces (Our Voces) Network will bring together national partners, state health departments, and other tobacco and cancer control networks with leading community-based organizations (CBOs) in these regions to expand access to and strengthen tobacco control and cancer prevention.

The CBOs selected to serve as regional leads are Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition in Chicago, IL; Clínica Tepeyac in Denver, CO; Comunilife in New York, NY; Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio in St. Paul, MN; Congreso in Philadelphia, PA; Family Health Centers of San Diego in San Diego, CA; Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia in Atlanta, GA; Salud Para la Gente in Watsonville, CA; The Concilio in Dallas, TX; and, Youth Development, Inc. in Albuquerque, NM.

Over the next five years, Nuestras Voces will launch efforts demonstrated to have impact and tailor those strategies to community resources and needs. Strategies are expected to include:
· Use of technology (such as text and mobile messaging) for reminders about health provider visits and supporting smokers who are quitting;
· Helplines and navigation services to connect underserved communities to services (such as smoking cessation support, HPV and HBV vaccines, and Pap testing) that may help people quit smoking and prevent cancers; and,
· Youth-led efforts to increase awareness about and decrease exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco use by their peers.

“For decades, the Alliance has fostered science leading to innovations in services and treatment and taken principled stands against the promotion of tobacco and polluters that have increased cancer risks and compromised the health of communities. We are proud of this legacy for health and are honored to lead the work of Nuestras Voces to help secure a healthier future for all,” concluded Dr. Delgado.

About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (The Alliance)
The Alliance is the nation's foremost science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States. The Alliance represents thousands of Hispanic health providers across the nation providing services to more than 15 million each year, making a daily difference in the lives of Hispanic communities and families. For more information, visit http://www.hispanichealth.org or call the Alliance's Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline at 1-866-783-2645

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