Window of opportunities: The US Mexican consulate and susan g. komen's inspired approach to address breast cancer disparities among Mexican women in the US

Global diasporas constitute an obvious collective of people through whom networks can be created and individuals mobilized for mutual benefit of both diasporas and the home country. Currently, Komen is piloting a diaspora project with the Consulate General of Mexico. Through its 48 US offices, the Mexican Consulate provides health education and social services to thousands of Mexican born women living in the US on a daily basis. Leveraging the efforts of the Consulate's “Ventanilla de Salud” (VDS) program, Komen is integrating culturally-relevant breast health key messages into the VDS curriculum thereby enhancing current efforts to reach Mexican nationals at the local level, connect them to breast cancer services, and ultimately change their health behavior. The partnership model requires collaborative approaches between the VDS sites and local Komen Affiliate offices to disseminate breast health messages. While increasing the reach of Komen's message, the model also builds organizational capacity of embassy offices and its partners and increases access to direct services such as mammograms and clinical breast exams thereby providing education that leads to action. In Mexico, current talks with the Ministry of Health are setting the stage for implementation of an adapted model in Mexico City leveraging the reach the Ministry has to vulnerable populations through its existing awareness and education efforts. This cross-border approach will be adapted and replicated for other Embassies of the region who will be invited to join the fight and our mission to end breast cancer.