The +Unidos Group, a partnership between the US Diplomatic Mission through the American Agency for International Development (USAID) and American companies established in Brazilian territory, participated this year, for the first time, in the campaign internationally known as "Pink October". The actions impacted more than 26,000 people among employees and family members of the companies that are part of the +Unidos Group.

This year, the +Unidos Group through the companies: Alcoa, AMD, Burson-Marsteller, Chevron, Citi, Cummins, General Motors, IBM, Intel, Motorola Solutions, Qualcomm and Walmart, wore pink together with the Americas Amigas organization during the month of October. Each company in the group showed its engagement with the cause in many different ways.

For some companies, the highlight activity was awareness-raising lectures. AMD organized a get-together event for all employees, where the representatives of Amigas Américas, Barbara Sobel and Francisca Harley gave a clarifying lecture on the importance of early diagnosis. Citi organized a talk on "Women", given by Dr. Sergio Simon, president of the Brazilian Breast Cancer Study Group. Alcoa promoted a lecture with Dr. Antonio Sérgio Petrilli from GRAACC (Support Group for Teenagers and Children with Cancer) on the theme, with the presence of the president of Amigas Américas, Mrs. Francisca Harley.

Burson-Marsteller carried out an awareness action with its employees about the importance of mammography, in addition to a ludic action, coloring the company pink. Cummins and General Motors drew attention to the campaign by lighting a strategic point of the companies in pink throughout the month of October. Cummins also innovated in the decoration of the company restaurant and prepared a special menu for the month of October. In addition, a statement of awareness was sent with the basic food basket of all employees.

Chevron, IBM, Intel, Motorola Solutions, Qualcomm and Walmart made an ongoing effort of internal communication, aimed at raising awareness among employees and their families of the importance of early diagnosis for the cure of the disease. Messages and leaflets were distributed with instructions for self-examination and awareness of the importance of mammography for women over 40. In addition to the distribution of ribbons and pink sweets.

Almost all companies have also set aside a day in the month for employees to go to work in pink, reinforcing their commitment to the fight against breast cancer.

"The engagement of so many companies in the fight against breast cancer is a dream come true" defines Barbara Sobel, representative of Amigas Americas. The event, which lasts for a month, seeks to mobilize people about the importance of performing preventive examinations for breast cancer. Although breast cancer is one of the most common types of the disease in Brazil, according to experts, medicine has evolved a lot in recent years and the chances of cure, if diagnosed early, are 95%. And that is why awareness is so important.
Researches indicate that in Brazil 44% of the breast cancer cases are detected in an advanced stage, which makes treatment difficult and reduces the chances of cure. As a result, the mortality rate from the disease is very high among Brazilian women: 42% of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not survive.

For this reason, since 2009, Americas Amigas, an organization formed by Brazilians and Americans who have joined forces in the fight to reduce the number of deaths caused by breast cancer in Brazil, especially among the low-income population, has promoted awareness actions on the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of the disease, donated mammography devices and equipment related to mammography to institutions that serve SUS patients and promoted training and improvement courses for technicians and doctors of its beneficiary institutions.