Mens Health
This case study is being displayed to help you understand the power of advocacy. Read it and think of how you can incorporate some of the strategies you learn from this case study into your advocacy campaigns.
Case Study
February 2008 Black History month, will mark a critically important time in history when African-American men embarked on a path to set the foundation for a national advocacy movement to make prostate cancer a national health priority and change the way we battle prostate cancer politically, legislatively, socially, medically and scientifically in the black community.
Never before have leading African-American prostate cancer survivor advocates, researchers, urologist and federal government agencies convened in a unified group for an exchange of ideas and action steps on significant prostate cancer issues specific to African-American men and their families.
Clark Atlanta University Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, under the direction of Dr. Shafiq Khan, Ph.D agreed to serve as the host of the first African-American Prostate Cancer Advocates Leadership Conference and continue on as the clearinghouse for the soon-to-be-created National Alliance of African-American Prostate Cancer Advocates (NAAPCA). The group’s objective has long been the vision of fourteen year prostate cancer survivor activist and Co-Founder of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, Robert Samuels. Dr. Khan and Mr. Samuels moved forward creating the goals and objectives of a national leadership meeting, identifying major state and national leaders in advocacy, medicine, research and government who could help shape a national agenda for awareness, education, advocacy and research.
The group’s goal was to convene seasoned leaders active in grassroots community awareness and outreach initiatives, but also experts in advocacy on public policy issues around prostate cancer. While advocates serve as the voice for prostate cancer awareness and action in the black community, several stakeholders existed and needed to be brought in at the conception of this national movement.
Dr. Khan, Bob Samuels and the planning and organizing committee began identifying funding partners. The group focused on organizations and companies committed to closing the health care gap in cancer and supporting the group’s goals long term. Ten organizations accepted the challenge and supported the group’s vision: sanofi-aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Tap Pharmaceuticals, American Medical Systems, American Cancer Society, Georgia Cancer Coalition, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Earl Graves provided funding contributions and donations to support the group’s efforts. This level of support represented the diversity of a national commitment to addressing health disparities in prostate cancer in the African-American community and the need for a national movement to address this disease that kills African-American males 2 to 1 vs. white males.
As a result, over 90 participants from around the country traveled to Atlanta with an attitude of expectation, cooperation and action. The conference kicked off with an opening reception on Friday hosted by AstraZeneca and the American Cancer Society. CAU President Dr. Walter Broadnax welcomed participants and confirmed his support. ACS National Vice President for Health Disparities Linda Blount delivered remarks and reiterated ACS’s appreciation to be a part of the conference and future activities. Attendance at the reception was higher than expected as participants came ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
Each panel provided participants with relevant, current information on research, treatments and therapies, clinical trials and government funded projects specific to African-American men. Participation from attendees was constant and deliberate throughout the weekend conference as everyone came with an expectation for knowledge, cooperation, collaboration and action. The physician panel focused on the validity of screenings for early detection, patient education, treatments, tissue collection and other research methods.
The group achieved its goals for this conference:
· To bring together the country’s leading African-American prostate cancer survivor advocates who are leading significant local and national efforts to close the health care disparities gap, improve access to treatments and therapies and advocate for inclusive legislative action in funding and research.
· To begin a dialogue between African-American survivor advocates, urologists, researchers, key opinion leaders, stakeholders and government agencies to take action to prevent prostate cancer deaths in the black community.
· Form the “National Alliance of African-American Prostate Cancer Advocates” that will function under Clark Atlanta University at the Center for Cancer Research & Therapeutic Development (CCRTD)
This is a great example of advocacy at work. Two men, Robert Samuels and Dr. Safiq Kahn came together and shared a vision. That vision grew to historic proportions. This is what is possible when people come together for a common cause.
