Sharjah, January 5, 2016: Pink Caravan Ride 2016, the annual breast cancer awareness drive, will be held on March 7-17 this year.
The ride will include more 100 riders, medical teams and volunteers to raise awareness about breast cancer, the importance of early detection examinations and to offer free screenings for everyone.
The ride is being held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC.
Over the years, the Pink Caravan has succeeded in offering free screenings to 36,332 women and men throughout the UAE’s seven emirates. The Pink Caravan has also gained considerable success in raising awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection.
During the ten-day ride, the medical staff will offer free breast cancer screenings to all community members, and raise breast cancer awareness through distribution of brochures and organising of lectures and workshops on how to perform self-examination, methods of dealing with the disease and also provide support to existing patients.
Expressing pride in the Pink Caravan’s achievements, Shaikha Jawaher said: “The Pink Caravan Ride will continue as long as the challenge imposed by breast cancer still exists. We therefore call on all community segments, government entities, private institutions and civil society organisations, to support and interact with the Pink Caravan’s activities and programmes.”
She added that the ride was part of the UAE’s strategy to ensure people’s happiness and the wellbeing of its residents: “We urge everyone to actively engage in its activities and contribute to helping it pursue its mission and achieve its goals. We do not want any Emiratis or residents living in the UAE to suffer from the physical and psychological pains caused by breast cancer. We neither want any family to suffer from the painful, grave effects caused by all types of cancer that are curable, treatable and survivable if detected early.”
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women worldwide with approximately 1.1 million women across the world diagnosed with breast cancer every year, 410,000 of whom will die of the disease. But if found in the early stages, 98 per cent of women can be completely treated and cured and figures show that 80 per cent of women’s breast cancers are detected by women during self-examination.
The Pink Caravan Ride launched in 2010 by the Friends of Cancer Patients, organises an annual horseback expedition that travels across all seven emirates, accompanied by its riders, mobile clinics and media teams. The ride marking its 10th anniversary will begin in Sharjah and conclude in Abu Dhabi.