Bridge of Health Alliance Against Breast Cancer

Background

The Bridge for Health Alliance was initiated by Hungarian non-governmental organizations with the advice of H.E. Nancy Goodman Brinker, former Ambassador of the U.S.A. in Budapest, in 2002. As a breast cancer survivor, Ambassador Brinker and the leaders of the NGOs considered it very important to draw attention to the disease, which is 90% curable if discovered at an early stage.

The primary aim of the alliance is to promote early diagnosis of breast cancer in order to reduce the death rate. The technology needed for modern screening and treatment is available in Hungary; however, women in the most endangered age group do not yet appreciate the importance of screening and early diagnosis. In addition, it is essential to reduce women's risks by promoting a healthy lifestyle and health development.

In Hungary centrally organized screening started in December of 2001. In the framework of the program launched by the National Public Health Office, all women between the ages of 45 and 65 receive an invitation for breast cancer screening bi-annually. Those concerned are invited to the screening center nearest to their domicile. About 1,260,000 women of this age group live in Hungary. Half of these women have already received the invitation; however, only 43% of them have actually participated in the screening. With the ongoing Campaign, the Alliance hopes to bring heightened awareness of breast cancer risks to Hungarian women, and thus encourage their participation in the free breast screening. Currently, 35 accredited centers exist in Hungary. The quality of their activity is continuously controlled by the State Health and Medical Office.

The Alliance program was launched on Sunday, October 27, 2002, with a symposium at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. As the highlight of the program, Ms. Mádl, then Health Minister Judit Csehák and then U.S. Ambassador H.E. Nancy Goodman Brinker, as well as other prominent women walked across the historic Chain Bridge, illuminated in pink, the color of hope, for the occasion.

Founding partners of the Bridge of Health Alliance are:

"Against Cancer for People and for Tomorrow" Foundation
Hungarian Anti-Cancer League
Hungarian Society of Senology
National Association of Cancer Patients
Hungarian Society of Oncologists - Section Mammology
Ministry of Health, Family and Social Welfare
National Health Program Office

Please visit the National Women's Health Information Center web site, which was created to provide free and reliable health information for women everywhere.

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2003
Bridge of Health Alliance
The Fight for Health Against Breast Cancer

The continuation of the Bridge of Health campaign in 2003 was highly supported by the new U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, George H. Walker, and his wife Carol Walker. Mrs. Dalma Mádl, the First Lady of Hungary, was the Honorary Chairperson of the Alliance's fall campaign in both 2002 and 2003.

To continue the successful campaign in the fight against breast cancer, the Bridge of Health Alliance started a new campaign in October, 2003, and hopes to reach even more people than in 2002. On the morning of October 7, Zsuzsanna Jakab, honorary state secretary and George H. Walker, Ambassador of the U.S.A in Budapest, together with representatives of the Alliance and corporate sponsors announced the start of the new breast cancer campaign at a press conference at the Ministry of Health. In the afternoon of the same day, the opening event was held in Pécs along the theme of the 2002 inaugural event. The U.S. Embassy's Regional Environment, Science, Technology and Health officer gave a speech. The program ended with a charity basketball match, where the national female champion team from Pécs and the team from Szolnok played for the health of women. (The Pécs team won, although the Campaign was the real winner!)

The second Annual Budapest Bridge of Health Symposium and Chain Bridge Walk took place on October 19. After the Symposium at the Hungarian National Academy of Sciences, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Equal Opportunities, and the U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Walker led the walk over the Chain Bridge, which was shining pink for this special occasion. Hundreds of people expressed their support for the campaign by attending this wonderful event.

• Ambassador Walker's Remarks at the Bridge of Health Symposium (October 19, 2003)

Chain Bridge Walk 2003 Lévai Katalin, Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ambassador Walker, and Kökény Mihály, Minister of Health Click on the photo to view an enlarged picture.

The cities of Szolnok, Gyõr, Szeged and Zalaegerszeg also hosted wonderful Bridge of Health Alliance events. Each regional event was organized as the model event in Budapest had been in 2002. In Szolnok on October 11, more than a hundred inhabitants of the town joined the Mayor, the head of the County Public Health Office, representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, the representative of the Ministry of Health for the symposium at the City Hall and for the walk over the Tisza Bridge. At the end of the walk, primary school children from Szolnok put on a beautiful folk dance performance.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in Gyôr, November 7, established a very strong and moving tie between the audience and the speakers at the symposium. The tone of the event was exceptionally warm-hearted. Mrs. Walker, wife of the American Ambassador, supported the event by her presence and by her kind remarks at the symposium.

	Bridge of Health Walk in Gyôr Mrs. Walker, local government officials, and members of the Bridge of Health Alliance and NGOs lead the Walk.
Mrs. Walker at the Bridge of Health Symposium in Gyôr.	Participants of the Bridge of Health Walk arrive at the Town Hall.
Click on the photo to view an enlarged picture.

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Cancer Awareness: Closing Out 2003 and Beginning the 2004 Campaign!

Embassy Budapest hosted the 2003 closing session of the Bridge of Health Alliance on December 12th. The participants of the meeting discussed the many events of the 2003 campaign, which was warmly welcomed by government officials, corporate sponsors, public health officers and the citizens of Hungary. This year the fall campaign reached over 5000 people with events in six cities, and speeches by members of the Embassy community, including Ambassador George Herbert Walker and Mrs. Walker.

For 2004, the Alliance decided to launch breast cancer awareness raising events in the spring. The goal is to extend the fight against breast cancer beyond the months of October and November. The Ambassador joined the closing meeting and expressed his admiration for, and congratulations to, all the dedicated participants of the program.

Participants of the Bridge of Health Alliance 2003 Closing Meeting Click on the photo to view an enlarged picture with caption.

For further information please contact the Budapest Hub: BUDAPESTS@state.gov

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