The Asian-American and Pacific Islander population and the American Cancer Society initiative

The American Cancer Society (ACS) Nationwide Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Initiative is a continuing collaboration between the ACS and other organizations and community groups. With a view to incorporating access to quality treatment as an over-arching principal, the objectives of the AAPI Initiative are to provide strategic oversight to the ACS for outreach to AAPI populations and to develop a nationwide plan for the purpose of making ACS programs and services available to these populations. After a series of meetings in 2002, including a joint meeting between the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART) and the ACS, the first ACS Nationwide AAPI Council meeting was held in early 2003. The goals and objectives of this initiative are 1) to develop a plan for delivery of ACS programs and services to the AAPI population, 2) to develop a program for collaboration with organizations that can help the ACS reach its objectives, 3) to develop an advocacy program that enables the ACS to reach its objectives, and 4) to develop an income-development program to both reach and maintain these objectives. The ACS-AANCART collaboration is a great example of the type of collaboration that will make not only the ACS but also the cancer community as a whole successful in eradicating cancer as a major public health problem.