George W. Bush Institute forms public-private partnership to combat cervical, breast cancers in developing world

The George W. Bush Institute is forming a public-private partnership to use PEPFAR's existing infrastructure of doctors, nurses and clinics to expand screening and treatment of women for cervical cancer and perform breast cancer education in the developing world, the Wall Street Journal reports. The goal of the partnership, which also includes the State Department, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and UNAIDS, "is to reduce the number of cervical cancer deaths by 25 percent in five years in countries where it scales up screening and treatment," WSJ writes, adding, "Its initial investment will be $75 million."

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby said PEPFAR "began setting up clinics to screen and treat women for cervical cancer in 2005, and the services are now offered at about 250 sites in 11 countries," according to the newspaper. "The partnership [also] hopes to train health workers funded by the AIDS-relief plan to raise awareness of breast cancer and teach women to give themselves breast exams," WSJ notes, adding that "mammograms and breast cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and surgery will take longer to provide in many countries, as those capabilities are not widely available" (McKay, 9/12).