• 10-day activity to travel around UAE spreading message of early breast cancer detection and offering free medical screenings

Sharjah, 12 November 2016:  The 7th Ride of Pink Caravan, a pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative from Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), will commence in March 7th till 17th. The annual activity, which promotes the importance of early detection of breast cancer in women and also men, will set off around the UAE on a 10-day mission to dispense free health advice and medical screenings to all community segments across the country.  

The starting date for the Pink Caravan Ride 2017 was approved by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness 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.

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi said: “Investing in people and their well-being has been UAE’s core movement proving the world that citizens are a country’s most valuable resources. Our nation’s achievements and success stem from the very seeds of our wise leaders, who prioritised human capital in order to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. Today, the UAE has been a world leader in its investment in its own people, and has achieved one of the highest ranks in the world for citizens’ happiness and satisfaction.”
 
“The Pink Caravan initiative, which has saved the lives of many and brought a positive change for people and communities on a national scale, is one of the many steps we take to ensure that we continue on capitalising on citizens’ healthcare services. Our focus is to ensure that citizens are receiving the best of care and awareness programs because their well-being is important to us and to the future of our great nation.”

Jawaher Al Qasimi highlighted that over the past six years Pink Caravan has established itself as a major community initiative, and that it has set a new standard for cancer outreach services in the region. 

Her Highness paid tribute and praised the immense efforts exerted by the late Ameera BinKaram in leading the Pink Caravan over the past six years, and supporting all committees, riders and volunteers. Sheikha Jawaher underlined that the well planning by BinKaram for the next ride, which will commence on March 7 for the first time without Ameera’s presence, forms an additional motivation to work harder in order to achieve the goals set to enhance the role of this humanitarian initiative in raising hope and awareness and providing treatment to breast cancer patients.

Sheikha Jawaher also praised the efforts by the UAE's leadership to ensure that all of the country’s residents enjoy wellbeing and good health. Her Highness highlighted the unstinting support from His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to the Pink Caravan since its inception in 2011. 

Organised annually, the Pink Caravan Ride involves horse riders, mobile clinics and medical teams travelling across the seven emirates to provide free breast cancer screenings for all community members. The initiative also spreads awareness by distributing pamphlets and booklets relating to the disease and conducts lectures and workshops on important breast cancer awareness topics, such as how to perform self-examinations. Pink has succeeded in spreading its awareness message among all community segments across the UAE, dispelling misconceptions surrounding the disease and encouraging thousands of women as well as men to effectively participate in it. The Pink Caravan has so far offered free early detection examinations to 41,356 men and women of various nationalities and age groups in the country.

Breast cancer is the most common type of carcinoma affecting women worldwide and accounting for 16 per cent of all female cancers. About 1.1 million women across the world are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with 410,000 of them dying. However, breast cancer is highly treatable if discovered in its early stages and has a 98% cure rate if detected promptly.