Alpha Kappa Alpha to Bring Its Mobile Mammography Unit to Arizona in Support of the Navajo Nation Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program

NAVAJO NATION (November 2, 2021) – Since its founding 113 years ago, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA) have been on a mission to raise community awareness of critical health issues impacting African American women. Their primary focus has been on breast cancer awareness and prevention, heart health, nutrition and wellness, and care for the caregivers.

In recognition of November being National Family Caregivers Month, the nation’s first sorority of college-educated Black women is partnering with the Navajo Nation Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program to bring the country’s only 3D mobile mammogram unit owned by a sorority to provide free mammograms for uninsured women of the Navajo Nation. The two-day event will be held on November 19 and 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility, US Highway 191, Hospital Drive, in Chinle, AZ. Free mammograms require a scheduled appointment. Please visit http://www.assuredimaging.com/AKA or call (928) 674-7332 extension 7132. CDC safety guidelines will be followed. Social distancing and wearing a mask are required.

“We join the multitudes of people across the nation in celebrating Caregivers Day to place emphasis on the importance of taking care of those who take care of others,” says Dr. Glenda Glover, international president and chief executive officer of AKA. “Our chapters will emphasize the need for caregivers to practice preventive healthcare as well as self-care behavior to eliminate the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the stress of caregiving.”

“According to the Navajo Nation, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Navajo women at a rate of nearly 61 per 100,000 women,” adds Dr. Glover. “As women of color, we support our Native American sisters in their quest to live healthier and more productive lives. We are extremely proud to partner with the Navajo Nation Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program to offer these screenings that are so critical to not only the trajectory of women’s health, but to that of entire families and communities.”

To support the effort, AKA is collaborating with AARP to offer self-care kits and supplies for caregivers. “Today, one in four American Indians/Alaska Native adults are caregivers,” said AARP Vice President Shani Hosten. “We are excited to continue our ongoing collaboration with AKA on such an important cause. Through events like this one, we hope to provide caregivers with a token of appreciation to show them we appreciate and support them.” To learn more about family caregiving, visit http://www.aarp.org/caregiving.

Since launching the 3D mobile mammography unit in 2018, more than 1.4 million women have received educational resources at more than 9,000 women’s health programs offered by the sorority chapters across the globe. In addition, the AKA 3D mammography motorcoach has traveled more than 170,000 miles and visited 28 cities across the country. Chapters also partner with local clinics, rural health centers, and hospitals to emphasize the need for women of color to receive regular mammograms because early detection saves lives.

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American, college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of over 300,000 members in more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, and in the Middle East. Led by International President and Chief Executive Officer, Glenda Glover Ph.D., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is often hailed as "America's premier Greek-letter organization for African American women." Visit http://www.aka1908.com for more information.

About Navajo Nation Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program

The mission of the Navajo Nation Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program is to reduce breast and cervical cancers by engaging communities and partners to promote, increase, and improve the quality of health outcomes. Visit http://www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/Department/Division-of-Public-Health-Service/Navajo-Cancer-Prevention-Program.