The mission to raise awareness on breast cancer sees UAE’s Pink Caravan reach a milestone.
This year’s edition, which commences on February 26, marks a decade since the birth of this exemplary endeavour.
The numbers clocked by Pink Caravan over the years are not just impressive, they also reveal the scale of commitment to an all-important health mission.
Free early-detection screenings to over 64,012 people of different nationalities and ages, including around 10,000 male residents, a total cost of free screenings at over Dh30 million and 670 volunteer riders traversing over 1,800 kilometres.
These have immeasurably helped the cause of breast cancer detection in time.
As experts, campaigners, health care systems and governments work towards reaching a higher breast cancer cure rate by the year, as scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge researches offer more and more ways to combat the disease, as awareness drive proliferate, the weight of the stigma will be whittled away, by one early screening after the other, until it exists no more
The significance of timely screenings cannot be overemphasised; in fact, early intervention is the single-most important element that can make the difference between a positive or negative outcome.
International statistics show that the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed in the early stages of breast cancer (stage one and two) is 80-90 per cent, whereas in stages three and four, the survival rate falls to 24 per cent.
Focusing on this vital truth is the core function of Pink Caravan and it is also at the core of the challenge of treating breast cancer successfully.
Every attempt to encourage and empower women, and men, to undergo early screening, particularly after the age of 40, with due diligence paid to family history and lifestyle habits, is potentially a lifesaver.
And entities such as Pink Caravan are purposed on pushing this agenda.
The continual raising of awareness and on-ground facilities of free screenings are invaluable in keeping the momentum going.
Globally, breast cancer deaths have decreased by more than one-third over the past three decades, according to experts.
Awareness has played a big role as have the advances in treatment, management and drug therapy.
This is an extremely encouraging reality and it needs to persist and grow to act as a vanquishing force on the other reality of breast cancer: as a socio-cultural stigma that still carries force and inhibits women and men from seeking an early diagnosis.
As experts, campaigners, health care systems and governments work towards reaching a higher breast cancer cure rate by the year, as scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge researches offer more and more ways to combat the disease, as awareness drive proliferate, the weight of the stigma will be whittled away, by one early screening after the other, until it exists no more.
