Educational program rolled out for breast cancer patients

China launched its first educational program tailored for breast cancer patients and survivors earlier this month.

The new initiative, All About Breast Cancer, was jointly developed by Goldman Sachs Gives, United Family Hospital, Beijing Cancer Hospital and Samsung Medical Center. It was showcased at the Sixth United States-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, which was co-hosted by Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The educational material was rolled out as part of the Goldman Sachs Gives' "HerCare: Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Initiative", a multi-million dollar, regional program that has been launched on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and South Korea. The initiative was made possible by the support of a group of Asian-based partners.

Promotion of the initiative will continue and a nationwide training session will be held by Goldman Sachs later this year, according to Wenchi Yu, head of Corporate Engagement in Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs.

Building on the progress of the HerCare program with the All-China Women's Federation, the one-day training session will replicate practices from pilot provinces.

ACWF representatives from 31 provinces will attend the training course, where information about the HerCare program will be shared. A number of healthcare professionals and survivors will also be invited. A documentary on the HerCare initiative will be released at the session.

The program includes a picture storybook designed for children of breast cancer patients. In South Korea, the program included a one-hour film, featuring the story of two survivors. This is now available online.

In 2011, Goldman Sachs Gives announced the "HerCare: Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Initiative" in partnership with the All-China Women's Federation, National Center for Women and Children's Health, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Harvard School of Public Health.

A survey by Goldman Sachs Gives showed that in the program's pilot areas of Tianjin municipality, Hunan province and Sichuan province, awareness of pathogenic factors, symptoms and examination methods of women increased by 35 percent. Breast examination rates have improved by 43 percent since the program was rolled out.

Since last year, the program has been extended to include education for breast cancer patients through a partnership with United Family Healthcare, Beijing Cancer Hospital and Samsung Medical Center in South Korea.

"A lot of effort goes into the adaptation of international practices and knowledge to local content most appropriate to China, as well as promoting cross-sector collaboration to maximize the program's impact," Wenchi Yu said.