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The Global Initiative on the Ground
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PROGRAM SITES
Bucharest is the capital city and the industrial and commercial
hub of Romania. Sometimes called the “Paris of the East” for its
elegant architecture and cosmopolitan society, Bucharest is a
prosperous center of education and culture.
Cluj is the third largest city in Romania. It has been a multicultural
and diverse city since the Middle Ages. Today, Cluj receives a
large influx of migrants: 25 thousand people requested residence
there in 2007 alone.
Constanta is the oldest living city in Romania, and today it is the
country’s second largest city. It is home to a major harbor, and
hundreds of thousands of tourists and seasonal laborers enter and
leave the city on a daily basis in the high season. |
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WHO WE ARE
In-Country Staff
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Program Manager
Carmen Boscaneanu has been working in the social field for seven years, in which she has
worked in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote
community development and mobilization projects. Working with the Society for Education on
Contraception and Sexuality (SECS), she has promoted non-discrimination and universal rights
to quality medical services, coordinating a project in 11 Romanian cities to increase the access
of disadvantaged populations to Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services. The project
was a groundbreaking, integrated approach to reproductive health issues in Romania, which
included medical and social institutions and was implemented in partnership with local
organizations. Carmen coordinated the creation of localized intervention plans and trainings for
local professionals on developing a community action plan and implementing and monitoring
reproductive health activities.
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Master Trainer
Elisabeta “Violeta” Horhoianu graduated from Romanian Medical School in 1981. She is a
certified trainer and program manager and holds an MD in International Relations. Since 1991,
Violeta has worked for non-profit organizations in Romania. She has worked with U.S.-based NGOs
such as the Free Romania Foundation, Brooke Foundation, and Education Futures International.
She co-authored the first curriculum for Physical Therapy for children with developmental delays due
to institutionalization, and she has trained over 100 staff members in Romanian orphanages in child
development and rehabilitation. In 1996, Violeta founded Per Aspera Ad Astra, an NGO that
provides a wide range of child protection services for Romanian orphans. Since 2000 she has
worked for the Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) as a project coordinator
and trainer in Reproductive Health. |
Steering Committee
Dr. Borbala Koo, Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) – Chairperson
Carmen Boscaneanu – Secretary
Mioara Gheorghe, Crowne Plaza, Bucharest
Marlene Farcas, The Romanian Cancer Society
Victoria Asanache and Mihaela Geoana, Renasterea Foundation
Dr. Nicula Florian, Institute of Oncology, Cluj
Dr. Carmen Lisencu, Institute of Oncology, Cluj
Stella Hanusz, Common Destiny
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Participants
The Komen Global Initiative conducts workshops based on the Course for the Cure™ training modules. The participants in these workshops are nurses, breast cancer survivors, NGO workers, and others who are in positions
to bring awareness to the general population of Romania.
See profiles of participants in the Global Initiative – Romania
PARTNERSHIPS
Lead Partner Organization:
Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS), Bucharest
SECS is a Romanian NGO which proactively engages stakeholders to address identified needs and ensure
optimum use of resources in order to guarantee universal access for the Romanian population to reproductive
health information and quality reproductive health services. SECS was funded with support from the
International Planned Parenthood Federation in 1990 as one of the first institutions aimed at meeting the needs
in the field of reproductive health/family planning of the Romanian population after long years of repressive pro-natalist
policy. SECS’ goals are to improve the capacity of institutions, communities, and individuals to identify
and respond to evolving reproductive health needs in Romania; and to increase SECS’ capacity to address its
strategic objectives on a continual basis.
Other Komen Support in Romania
In October 2002, Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded a grant to the American International Health Alliance (AIHA)
to co-sponsor a two-day breast health conference in Bucharest, Romania, in collaboration with The Renaissance
Foundation for Education, Culture, and Health in Romania. The 120 participants included women’s health leaders,
physicians, NGOs, press, nurses, and health insurance representatives. The workshop presented accurate and up-todate
information on breast health; trained participants in advocacy for early detection and breast health screening in
Romania; and engaged healthcare providers in creating awareness and support for survivors.
In September 2007, Susan G. Komen for the Cure hosted Ms. Stella Hanusz, breast cancer survivor and the President
of “Common Destiny,” as a delegate at the Ignite the Promise: Global Advocate Summit in Budapest, Hungary. The
Summit brought together more than 50 activists from five continents to discuss the impact of breast cancer on the
global healthcare system and to collaborate on strategies to increase awareness, advocacy, and early detection
worldwide.
STATISTICS
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Breast Cancer in Romania:
Incidence: 44.3 / 100,000
Mortality: 16.7 / 100,000
Mortality/Incidence: 38%
Globocan 2002. Rates expressed are ASR(W)
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Social stigma and lack of information about breast
cancer persist in many rural and poor urban areas
of Romania. Viewing the disease as a virtual death
sentence, many women at high risk for breast
cancer sometimes believe that it is better not to
know their diagnosis. Because of the shame that
has long been associated with breast cancer,
Romanian women who detect breast |
abnormalities may be reluctant to see a doctor or pursue treatment.
Coupled with the social stigma of the disease is an alarming lack of basic screening services. Despite
the high nationwide incidence rate of breast cancer, there are currently only five mammography
machines in all of Romania, compared to over 8,000 machines in the U.S. This translates to roughly
one machine per two million women in the country.
Lowering breast cancer mortality requires raising awareness about the importance of early detection for
survival, and increasing countrywide access to screening services. |
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