Sharjah, UAE: 10 October 2024- Sharjah Sustainable City partnered with UAE-based Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) to raise awareness about breast cancer among residents and beyond.
Joining the annual international campaign observed every October to raise awareness about breast cancer, Sharjah Sustainable City collaborated with Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) for its flagship initiative, Pink Caravan. As part of this collaboration, the city hosted free medical screenings for residents on 9th October 2024. In addition, vouchers for mammograms were distributed to women residents aged 40 and older. The primary aim of the program was to promote the importance of early detection while equipping the community with essential information and resources to enhance their understanding of breast cancer.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Yousif Ahmed Al-Mutawa, Chief Executive Officer of Sharjah Sustainable City, said: “Health and wellness are rooted in almost every program or initiative we have within the city, as they form one of the main pillars of sustainable living. We are pleased to collaborate with FOCP to contribute to these efforts and once again host the Pink Caravan—this time for a much larger community, as we have recently welcomed more residents with the handover of three out of four phases of the city. I would like to thank FOCP for their continuous support on our journey toward a happy, healthy, and fully sustainable city by offering free screenings for our residents and sharing vital knowledge about the importance of early detection, while also addressing a number of concerns.”
Commenting on the initiative, Aisha Al Mulla, Director of Friends of Cancer Patients said, “This October, we are pleased to collaborate with Sharjah Sustainable City to host our Pink Caravan Mobile Clinic, offering free screenings while continuing our mission to raise awareness about early detection and motivate a movement for change. Breast cancer affects countless lives, in both women and men, and early detection is our most potent tool in this regard, with survival rates soaring beyond 90% when caught in its earliest stages. By also having conversations and breaking the barriers of silence and stigma surrounding this disease, we can empower society with knowledge, bringing us closer to a future where we can prevent and defeat cancer effectively.”
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According to WHO, breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in 157 countries out of 185 in 2022 and occurs in every country in the world. Moreover, approximately 99% of breast cancers occur in women and 0.5–1% of breast cancers occur in men. However early diagnosis increases the chances of recovery in 95% of cases. Initiatives like Pink Caravan by FOCP, which place a strong emphasis on early detection, provide hope and a valuable opportunity for convenient screenings.
As Sharjah Sustainable City becomes home to hundreds of families, it is committed to promoting wellness alongside sustainable living. To support this mission, the city regularly hosts a wide range of programs and forges partnerships aimed at nurturing a sustainable community and inspiring others to follow suit.
