Grounds For Health » media

GFH in the News

Justin Mool — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:05:11 +0000

Grounds for Health has had a busy year, and people are beginning to notice. Within the last few weeks and months, we’ve seen a flurry of articles in magazines and on blogs.

In The News & On The Web

Jane Goodall Institute Blog: Summary of our partnership & work in Tanzania
Coffee Talk Magazine – June Issue, Page 14: featured story about cervical cancer and GFH
Cafe Imports Blog: GFH Intern Amanda Eastwood’s first-hand accounts from the field
Pitt County Women’s Journal: Volunteer’s write-up of GFH’s mission

Volunteer Sylvia talks about GFH – From SCAA

Justin Mool — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:52:28 +0000

We just stumbled across Tambaroo Coffee‘s interview with Grounds for Health volunteer Sylvia Estrada from SCAA. Sylvia is a Nurse Practitioner in California and is one of our most active volunteers. Thanks to the Tambaroo blog for posting this great vid. Check it out:

Response to the Huffington Post

Jane Sakovitz Dale — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:04:11 +0000

On May 17^th the Huffington Post ran a commentary by Irene Natividad, President of the Global Summit of Women, entitled “Lifting the Burden.” The piece talked about the importance of an all-out international effort to stem the incidence of cervical cancer.

Natividad rightfully talked about how cervical cancer strikes women in their 30s and 40s and takes a disproportionate toll among women in the developing world, where 80% of deaths occur. Natividad calls all to recognize that cervical cancer is not only a health issue but an economic issue as well. She reasons that the knowledge and the tools to prevent, screen and treat cervical cancer are well known and identified, and raises the question: what’s stopping us from wiping out cervical cancer?

First off, we agree with Natividad that in the long term, new HPV vaccines show potential to reduce cervical cancer rates worldwide. Current HPV vaccines target viruses that cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. Natividad adds:

Even more promising for developing countries, researchers are creating a new HPV test that doesn’t require running water, electricity, or highly trained laboratory professionals. It would allow women to be screened and, if necessary, begin treatment on the same day.

Hmm … Screening and treatment in the same day? Sound familiar?

Natividad misses the opportunity to talk about the kind of work Grounds for Health is doing: the Single Visit Approach. The Single Visit Approach uses vinegar, cotton balls, and a good light. It costs just 23¢ in materials to screen and treat for cervical cancer using the Single Visit Approach. If pre-cancer is detected, the woman can be treated immediately with cryotherapy (freezing).

It’s simple. It’s powerful. It works.

Don’t get us wrong, HPV vaccination will be instrumental in the fight against cervical cancer in the near future. We just can’t forget low-resource appropriate screening and treatment methods that can have an impact right now.