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Healthcare Equity Among Women with Cancer

SpeakerS:

Dr. Felicia Knaul, Director, Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, University of Miami 
Dr. Sophia George, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Dr. Erin Kobetz, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences & Vice Provost for Research, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Key takeaways & next steps:

  • Breast cancer is the leading cause of death and cervical cancer is third in premenopausal women throughout Latin America. When looking at equity issues and the ratio of mortality to incidents, there is a strong correlation between where the individual lives and where they were born. 
  • The impact of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and immigration status on the development and survival rates of breast and gynecological cancers in women must be addressed through identifying strategies that invite and allow diverse women to engage in suitable and sustainable primary and secondary prevention. 
  • As the first collaborating center of the World Health Organization to eliminate cervical cancer, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami have stressed the importance of implementing screening programs throughout the Caribbean and Latin America by training Caribbean clinicians in mammography quality assurance. 
  • Research can be applied to better reach at-risk populations by prioritizing community-based participatory research as well as talking to advocates and looking at social needs. 
  • When discussing women’s access to care there is a profound need to work collaboratively with ministers of health, community stakeholders, advocates, and beyond to change the fundamental aspects of how healthcare is delivered to enhance the possibility of equitable access.

“Through a set of diseases that were historically thought of as a death sentence for women, there’s a way to breathe the kind of life into our health systems and make them do better overall for women, but also for men and for all genders.”

 
Dr. Felicia Knaul, Director, Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, University of Miami

“Working closely with ministries of health and also ministries of education where we do a lot of promotion at the school level—these are ways that we can capture that population [women and young kids].”

 
Dr. Sophia George, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

“As scientists, [we] have an opportunity and obligation to bridge the chasm between the researcher and researched and to invite individuals whose voices have been historically muted—both in science and conceptualizing effective healthcare strategies—to the table.”

 
Dr. Erin Kobetz, Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences & Vice Provost for Research, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

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