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Dr. Rosy Toussaint
Welcome to the Haitian American Association against Cancer Website. HAAAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of cancer awareness, education and early detection in the Haitian-American community.
It is well known nowadays that with a healthy lifestyle we could prevent more than half of the illnesses seen in medical practice. In the case of cancer, early detection is a major aspect of prevention. It helps improve the rate of cure, the survival and the quality of life, in the most common cases.
Most Americans have access to health information and preventive care. However, it is clear that major health disparities exist in our society, most of them due to socioeconomic factors. These inequalities are even more pronounced in the case of cancer.
The Haitian community faces a double hurdle: besides socioeconomic limitations, we face strong cultural barriers. We receive our health information from friends and relatives, rather than the media. We visit physicians who may not be culturally sensitive. We have a language barrier. Cancer is still taboo in our society. We are very suspicious about the true nature of our diseases. We do not always take responsibility for our own health. We seek medical care when we feel sick, not before.
For all these reasons, Haitians are less likely to seek early detection of cancer, and to react in a timely manner to a positive test. The disease will be more advanced by the time they agree to start treatment. This translates into more complications and shorter life expectancy.
Our goal is to break these cultural and socioeconomic barriers for our fellow Haitians in South Florida. We educate the community in a culturally sensitive manner. We organize outreach programs. We facilitate the screening tests for patients unable to afford them. We ensure proper follow-up after the tests. We reach out to the Haitian medical community.
Thanks to the generosity of some Haitian cancer survivors who offer their testimony, we are lifting the social taboo about cancer.
HAAAC was born out the vision and generosity of two Haitians who turned their painful personal experiences into a gift to their community. We have a caring and devoted staff, and supportive board. We are grateful to all those survivors who came forward to help us in our mission.
Browse our site. Stop by to visit us in our office. The staff’s enthusiasm is contagious. Learn more about cancer prevention. Volunteer, support us, and help us raise funds to carry our mission. Life is precious. Let us preserve it together.
