Creating a new partnership through breast health: La Universidad de Los Lllanos Community Health Nursing and indigenous communities in Colombia

Indigenous women in Colombia lack breast health services such as clinical breast exams and mammography.  Community-based, culturally appropriate breast health programs for education, detection and treatment have not been available. Community health nurses provide considerable education and preventive services throughout Colombia; however, some populations have not been reached.  At La Universidad de Los Llanos, located in Villavicencio, the community health nursing faculty are actively involved with many communities but these did not include two indigenous communities, La Victoria-Humapo and Puerto Gaitan. 

Cuidate, Te Apoyamos, funded by Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation , was the opportunity for  Los Llanos faculty and students to become involved with these two indigenous communities. Cuidate, Te Apoyamoswas a successful project which created a breast health program and network to services for indigenous women. Los Llanos faculty were one of two Colombian nursing participants in the project. The nursing faculty and students conducted community focus groups, created educational materials based on the focus group findings, provided education for the lay health workers, evaluated the program and linked the communities with services.

In addition to coming together on a successful community breast health program, an enduring partnership was created between the community nursing faculty and the indigenous communities. This partnership has led to multiple outcomes beyond the project. This presentation will provide an overview of the breast health project and the indigenous communities, the nursing faculty, the challenges faced in working with these communities, the rewards and the effective partnership formed with new future directions.