We are currently celebrating National Women’s Health Week.

With this in mind, I’m pleased to report that I’ve just voted to approve two critically important bills that are designed to improve women’s health care throughout our state. These measures include the following:

Breast Cancer Mapping — Few New York families haven’t been touched in some way by the great pain, suffering and loss that can be caused by breast cancer. Fortunately, both the Senate and Assembly have now taken action on legislation allowing funds from the Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund to be used for breast cancer mapping initiatives, and to generate innovative proposals that can help identify why some areas are more prone to breast cancer than others. We’ve made great strides in identifying the incidences of breast cancer statewide, but more can and should be done to isolate clusters and areas of the state where this insidious disease is more common than others.

In response to recent news reports about the detection of prescription drugs in drinking water, Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus, in conjunction with Catholic Health Go Green, DEA, and Erie County, is hosting a Drive-through Community Pharmaceutical Drop-Off program for unused household medications on Saturday, April 27, 2010 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

For the first time in American history on April 22, 2013, people in 200 cities and 45 states will join and will walk together in solidarity to raise awareness of child abuse and crimes against children at the inaugural Million March Against Child Abuse. Buffalo will be one of the participating cities.  Child advocate groups, churches, parents, teachers and many other concerned citizens from across Western New York (WNY) will take part in this national event and will converge on Lafayette Square in Downtown Buffalo and March to Niagara Square loudly voicing their collective outrage against child abuse along their route.