Women Making a Difference

Dr. Rita Leavell, Jordan

Dr. Rita Leavell Source: The Jordan Private Sector Project for Women's Health

Dr. Rita Leavell of Abt Associates Inc. works on behalf of Jordan’s 2.5 million women to improve the early detection of breast cancer, the second leading cause of death of women in that country. A pediatrician with an MBA, Dr. Leavell has worked in international health for 22 years, 17 of which were focused on using the private sector to achieve sustainable health goals.

Under Dr. Leavell’s leadership as project director, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Abt Associates-led Jordan Private Sector Project for Women’s Health (PSP Jordan) helped establish the Jordan Breast Cancer Program, whose five-year goal is to detect at least 70 percent of breast cancer cases in the early, curable stages (currently, more than 70 percent of cases are discovered in the late stages, and the survival rates are low). The program will encourage all women to regularly have clinical exams and women ages 40 to 60 to receive annual mammograms. The Jordan Breast Cancer Program also will ensure that standard operating procedures, quality-assurance protocols, and national guidelines for clinical and mammogram screening for breast cancer are applied in participating facilities. All sectors of Jordan’s medical facilities are being tapped for this screening program, including the Ministry of Health (MOH), private hospitals and clinics, the Royal Medical Services, and the United Nations Works and Relief Agency.

The breast cancer initiative in Jordan received praise from First Lady Laura Bush during her visit to the country in June 2007 as part of the Middle East Peace Initiative. Mrs. Bush stated that Jordan’s fight against the disease was the most advanced of the five Middle Eastern countries she visited, due to the efforts of local partnership activities.

Through her leadership of PSP Jordan, Dr. Leavell has been instrumental in fostering such partnerships. In October 2006, Dr. Leavell worked with the King Hussein Cancer Center, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, and MOH to launch the Pink Ribbon communication campaign that informed women and health officials that “early detection of breast cancer saves lives.” From this partnership was born a draft plan for the nation and the aforementioned Jordan Breast Cancer Program. To ensure its sustainability, the Jordan Breast Cancer Program receives funding independently from the Government of Jordan as well as through fundraising from the King Hussein Cancer Foundation. Dr. Leavell, as a member of the executive board, provides technical guidance, identifies opportunities from the private sector, and supports the program through PSP Jordan’s and Abt Associates’ activities.

Dr. Leavell has mobilized PSP Jordan’s many partners and subcontractors, as well as other areas of Abt Associates. Community health workers from PSP Jordan’s door-to-door outreach program have met more than 770,000 women ages 15 to 60 to inform them about breast cancer and teach them how to perform self-examinations. So far, more than 4,700 women with obvious breast-related issues have been referred to the King Hussein Cancer Center for further evaluation, with free vouchers for poor women. As a result of the project, 117 women have been diagnosed with breast cancer that would otherwise not have been detected early-stage, giving them a better chance of survival. Dr. Leavell and PSP Jordan also played a major role in communication through TV and radio spots, brochures, and posters to encourage women to see their doctors and check for breast cancer.

MOH and Abt Associates-led PSP Jordan have worked simultaneously to improve medical facilities. Under Dr. Leavell, PSP Jordan has trained more than 470 private doctors in providing clinical breast exams, while MOH has trained more than 700 members of its staff in clinics and hospitals. The ministry is purchasing and placing an additional 21 mammogram machines in its facilities in preparation for a screening program.

In October 2007, just one year after the launch of the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Campaign, local initiatives were expanded to enhance its effectiveness. During the initiative, more than 31,000 women received checkups for breast cancer, a remarkable increase from the 12,000 women who had them in 2006. Hotline calls increased tenfold over the previous year, with four times as many women willing to have a mammogram. The campaign was extended by two months to accommodate the increased clientele in clinics and centers.
 
While Dr. Leavell has been instrumental in Jordan’s remarkable progress fighting breast cancer, she is quick to share credit with the many individuals and organizations with whom she works. PSP Jordan’s staff and Abt Associates have been instrumental in Jordan’s progress, and the project’s lead partners, including the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and the King Hussein Cancer Center, will ensure that the Jordan Breast Cancer Program continues even without PSP Jordan’s support.

Story provided by Abt Associates Inc.

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