Trip Notes by Date

January 8

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 9

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 10

Ed Gillespie
Counselor to the President

Full Note

January 11

Ed Gillespie
Counselor to the President

Full Note

January 12

Stephen Hadley
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Full Note

January 13

Bill McGurn
Assistant to the President for Speechwriting

Full Note

January 14

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 15

Dana Perino
Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

Full Note

January 15

Joshua Bolten
White House Chief of Staff

Full Note

January 16

George W. Bush
President of the United States

Ask the White House Transcript

 

Progress on the US - Middle East Partnership for Confronting Breast Cancer

Biography

Dana Perino

Assistant to the President and Press Secretary

 

 

The effort to educate women about breast cancer is truly ground breaking in the Middle East because there’s definitely a stigma about the disease here. Many women are embarrassed to even mention breast cancer and they're slow to seek a doctor's help. By shedding light on this epidemic, Mrs. Bush’s visit helped Middle Eastern women understand the importance of early detection and treatment.

Ground Breaking Advocacy

A quick word about a program in the Region that is important to both the President and Mrs. Bush….

As you may recall, Mrs. Bush highlighted the U.S - Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research during her 2007 trip to four countries in the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan). Facilitated by the Department of State with the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, the program is helping confront the challenge of breast cancer. While heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in our country (and an important part of Mrs. Bush's healthcare advocacy efforts), breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in the Middle East.

During various stops throughout our trip, it's been great to see how the news of her breast cancer advocacy spread throughout the Region. In many meetings, men and women have taken a moment to tell the President and his team how much they appreciate Mrs. Bush's efforts. For example, last night at a dinner hosted by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, two of the guests told Ambassador Brinker (Chief of Protocol and the founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) how important Mrs. Bush's trip was in their communities. And when the President participated in a meeting today with breast cancer survivors and awareness advocates, we heard another remarkable story from Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, a brave woman who diagnosed her own breast cancer and is now undergoing treatment.

more photos »

She was dressed in a traditional abaya covered in pink breast cancer awareness ribbons that clearly expressed her commitment to this important fight. When Mrs. Bush met with Dr. Al-Amoudi last October, she noted how Dr. Al-Amoudi was the first Saudi to break the silence and share her personal experience with breast cancer. Today, the President thanked Dr. Al-Amoudi for her courage and her efforts to spread the word about the importance of women getting help immediately if they need it.

Next month, from February 23rd - 26th, Dr. Al-Amoudi will participate in a four-city breast cancer advocacy and awareness training tour supported by the Saudi Cancer Society (SCS), the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the US-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. Women like Dr. Al-Amoudi are making a difference in this global fight - and I'm proud that America is helping them.

      Middle East Trip