Pink Caravan ride for breast cancer awareness begins Feb-end

Sharjah - Highly-trained medical teams will travel with the caravan

Organisers of the Pink Caravan Ride, the UAE's most important and extensive annual cancer awareness campaign have confirmed that the eighth edition of the event will take place from February 28 until March 6.
The nationwide initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), which promotes the importance of early detection of breast cancer, will set off around the UAE on a seven-day mission to offer free health advice and medical screenings to all members of the community.
The starting date for the Pink Caravan Ride 2018 was approved by Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of 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) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC.
This year, the Pink Caravan Ride will be condensed and intensified into one day for each of the seven emirates, sharing its message of awareness across the country.
The ride will travel with highly-trained medical teams with specialist knowledge of cancer detection and the most contemporary methods and equipment of identifying the disease.
The Pink Caravan's efforts have contributed to dispelling misconceptions surrounding breast cancer, and encouraging thousands of women and men from across the UAE to be part of early detection examinations. It has also contributed to breaking down the barriers of fear and embarrassment, making breast cancer a community concern engaging all segments of society in combating it.
This year's Pink Caravan Ride coincides with the 'Year of Zayed', declared to mark 100 years since the birth of the country's founding father and highlight his humanitarian legacy. He considered wellbeing and quality of life the two cornerstones of progress.
The ride also draws on health strategies adopted by the UAE since its formation to provide awareness, prevention and protection to ensure the health and happiness of its citizens.
Sheikha Jawaher said: "This humanitarian initiative has contributed to dispersing the myths of cancer. The Pink Caravan has reached an enormous amount of people living in the UAE and is one of the most successful drives in combating breast cancer. The campaign will continue to provide free medical check-ups and help patients, not only during the seven-day nationwide tour, but throughout the year."
She called on the civil community, private and public sectors to participate in the ride and make every possible effort to continue its success.
Over the past seven years, the Pink Caravan has travelled 1,640 kilometres across the seven emirates, with more than 490 riders and 700 volunteers who volunteered for over 200,000 volunteer hours - the equivalent of 23 years of non-stop work.
The Pink Caravan has also conducted lectures and workshops in 87 schools and provided free clinical examinations to 48,874 Emiratis and residents, including 9,643 men.
Breast cancer can affect men and women of all ages. It is one of the most common cancers affecting women, representing around one in four new cases globally. Early stages of breast cancer are preventable and treatable, with a curable rate of up to 98 per cent.
More than 1.1 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, with 410,000 dying of the disease.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah