UAE- Friends of Cancer Patients to take part in Regional Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

SHARJAH, 20th August, 2016 (WAM)--Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), represented by the Pink Caravan, has participated in a workshop organised by the Jordan Breast Cancer Programme, in Amman, Jordan, to discuss the latest preparations for a unified regional campaign to raise awareness around breast cancer.

Entities from six Arab countries will take part in the global awareness month for breast cancer scheduled for October.

Present at the workshop held at King Hussein Cancer Centre in Amman were Dr. Asem Mansour, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Jordan Breast Cancer Programme and CEO/Director General, King Hussein Cancer Center and representatives from the National Campaign for Breast Cancer Early Detection and the University of Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Egyptian National Breast Cancer screening Programme; the Qatar Cancer Society, the Aid and Hope Programme for Cancer Patients Care in Palestine and FoCP.

During the workshop, Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FoCP, praised the great efforts made by H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of FoCP, International Ambassador for the World Cancer Declaration of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC, to control breast cancer as well as her unstinting support for the Pink Caravan, which has had a hugely positive impact for cancer awareness and detection in the UAE over the past six years.

Commenting on the participation of the Pink Caravan in October's regional campaign, Dr. Al Madhi underlined that FoCP is keen to cooperate with all local, regional and international organisations in order to minimise the impact of breast cancer and to reduce its incidence through intensifying joint awareness efforts and by providing free screenings and tests.

"After Pink Caravan's great success in promoting awareness around breast cancer at the national level and providing free early detection screenings, we have endeavoured to promulgate its message across the region. We are very excited to be contributing to this campaign, which takes place in October in six Arab countries, and hope that it will be adopted in all Arab countries next year," said Al Madhi.

Dr. Al Madhi reviewed FoCP's experience in the fight against breast cancer through the Pink Caravan and pointed out that its sixth annual ride succeeded in providing breast cancer early detection free screening and services to 5,059 people, 4,406 women and 653 men. She noted that the beneficiaries were 1,119 national citizens and 3,940 residents, with the total number of beneficiaries of the Pink Caravan activities in the UAE over the past six years being 41,391 men and women of all nationalities and ages.

Finalising the preliminary discussions at the Jordan Breast Cancer Programme workshop, the attendees agreed the content of the campaign's message, which is aimed at uniting the efforts of the participating organisations, entities and awareness programmes in the six states of Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in order to increase its influence and facilitate access to the largest number of women as well as men.

They underlined the importance of joining all efforts and activating common action between the bodies and stressed the need of intensifying awareness work and providing all segments of society, in particular those at highest risk of developing cancer, with the required tests and screenings for early detection of the disease.