Zulekha Hospitals Dubai and Sharjah welcome more than 2,902 women for medical tests to reduce breast cancer cases in UAE

Dubai, UAE, 8 January, 2017: Zulekha Hospital says its ongoing breast cancer awareness drive is having a growing impact after a record number of female patients registered for X-Ray mammograms and specialist check-ups.

A total of 2,902 women have attended medical appointments at Zulekha Hospitals in Sharjah and Dubai since the launch of the ‘Pink It Now’ initiative in October 2016. This represents a 58% increase in consultations from its 2015 campaign.

Launched by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Founding Board Member of Friends for Cancer Patients (FoCP), ‘Pink It Now’ was the latest part of Zulekha Hospitals’ string of CSR initiatives aimed at raising health awareness in the UAE.

According to a WHO World Cancer Report, breast cancer has a substantially higher incidence than any other type of carcinoma. In 2012 alone the UAE registered 568 incidences of the disease, a rate five times higher than those of cervical or colorectal cancer and currently the disease amounts to 30% of all cancer cases across the MENA region.

“The numbers clearly show that our messages about the importance of the disease detection and treatment options prompt women into action,” said Dr Pamela Munster, renowned cancer expert from the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF), United States, and the campaign’s long-standing ambassador.

“We want women to acknowledge that while some of them are in the higher breast cancer risk group due to their age, race or family history, anyone can develop this disease.”

The initiative, which concluded last week (Saturday, 31 December), comes in line with the UAE government’s health goal of decreasing cancer fatalities within 2021, and is being undertaken in collaboration with The Pink Caravan, a FoCP initiative that has been functioning in the UAE since 2011 to raise awareness about breast cancer; highlighting the importance of early detection, regular check-ups, and dispelling the innumerable myths that surround the disease.

Dr Munster added: “Our aim is to educate women regardless of their age or background about the prevention, screening, and treatment procedures because timely management of the disease can reduce fatalities up to 98% and we want to equip all females across the UAE with this knowledge.”

Zanubia Shams, Zulekha Hospital Co-chairperson and the campaign’s creator, said: “We are overwhelmed by the response to ‘Pink It Now’ as the number of women registering for appointments grew by 58 per cent since last year while the number of positive cases detected remained at 13.

“We believe that by empowering women with extensive knowledge about breast cancer and stressing the importance of regular screenings as well as providing information about relevant treatment options, we help them make informed decisions about their health now and in the future.”

‘Pink It Now,’ supported by partners including Friends of Cancer Patients, Pink Caravan, Ford Warriors in Pink – Ford MENA, Nestle Fitness, Bhima Jewellers, Colors TV, radio channels HUM FM and CLUB FM, and Femina ME, is one of Zulekha Hospital’s core CSR initiatives, stressing the importance of strategies for cancer prevention, early detection and management of patients with the disease. The campaign will return to Dubai and Sharjah in October 2017.

First three months of the Pink It Now breast cancer initiative deliver excellent results in educating importance of regular health checks

Dubai, UAE, 9 January 2016: Scores of women in the UAE have responded positively to a call from Zulekha Hospital to take responsibility for their breast cancer health in a new awareness campaign.

More than 1,800 women in the Emirates have taken advantage of a free breast cancer consultation, while 763 x-ray mammograms have been undertaken at Zulekha Hospital in Dubai and Sharjah as part of the Pink It Now campaign which was launched in October during the Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Developed exclusively by Zulekha Hospital, a pioneer in UAE healthcare, the Pink It Now initiative was supported by Ford Warriors in Pink, a Ford Motor Company breast cancer awareness initiative, and Dubai Islamic Bank.

From 1 October until 31 December, both hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah offered women the opportunity to take advantage of free specialist consultations by Zulekha Hospital oncologists and surgeons as well as receive free mammograms.

Zulekha Hospital in Sharjah carried out a total of 1,116 free consultations and 445 x-ray mammograms while the hospital in Dubai received a total of 703 women for free consultations and a total of 318 for mammograms, out of which 13 cases were diagnosed positive.

The campaign forms part of a worldwide initiative to build awareness and educate women on breast cancer and the importance of regular check-ups and early detection. The campaign also aims to empower women to beat the disease.

Dr. Pamela Munster, a professor at the Department of Medicine (Haematology/Oncology) and Director of Early Drug Development and Breast Cancer officially launched the new ‘Pink It Now’ campaign at the Conrad Hotel in October, alongside her colleague Dr. Hani Sbitany, Assistant Professor of Surgery Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from the University of California in San Francisco.

The event, attended by eminent doctors, cancer campaigners and breast cancer survivors also highlighted the fact that breast cancer can affect women regardless of their age, ethnicity, genetics or reproductive history.

Mr Taher Shams, Managing Director of Zulekha Hospital, said: “We are very pleased with the success of this campaign and the number of women who have come forward to utilize the opportunity of our free consultations and mammograms. We believe the key to prevention of this disease is early detection and this is what our campaign strives to do, which is to encourage women to get regular check-ups.”

Dubai First and Dubai Ladies Club back initiative to encourage regular checks; women offered free specialist consultations, Pap tests

Dubai, UAE, 18 May, 2015: Zulekha Hospital, a pioneer in UAE healthcare, is spearheading a new cervical cancer screening and prevention initiative to help reduce the incidence of the disease and save lives across the Emirates.

The ‘Smear, Don’t Fear’ campaign has been developed by Zulekha Hospital with the active support of the Dubai Ladies Club and leading consumer finance company Dubai First as part of their CSR support targeting women between the age group of 35-65 years.

While this is the high-risk group, cervical cancer can affect anyone over 25 years and the risk of the disease, as well as the importance of regular checks for early detection were highlighted at today’s official launch press conference by eminent doctors and cancer campaigners.

They included Dr Pamela Munster, renowned cancer expert from the University of California in San Francisco, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading universities in health sciences; Dr. Layla Mohamed Al Marzouqi, Director of DHA Health Regulation and Dubai Medical Tourism Project; Huda Abdalla, Board Member of Dubai First & Chairman of Women Advisory Committee ; Lamia Abdulaziz Khan, Director of Dubai Ladies Club; and Zanubia Shams, CEO of Zulekha Hospital, along with leading gynaecology specialists from Zulekha Hospital.

“The key message of the new campaign is to remind young professionals of the importance of smear tests and show that together we can help prevent cervical cancer if the disease is identified at an early stage,” said Zanubia Shams.

The prime objective behind the new initiative is to educate women about the symptoms, risks and prevention of the second most common cancer affecting hundreds of thousands worldwide, as more than 92% of those diagnosed in the early stages can be successfully cured.

From now until 31 August, women can take advantage of free specialist consultations and Pap tests at Zulekha Hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah.

As part of a larger and ongoing outreach initiative, men are encouraged to support or even accompany their female friends and family members to the clinics when the women are tested for the HPV virus which can cause cervical cancer.  The campaign also urges everyone to wear a cervical cancer campaign ribbon to show support and help create awareness about the disease.

Dr Pamela Munster said: “Early detection means it is possible for the majority of cases to be cured, and we want to also help to remove the stigma that is sometimes associated with the disease as it only impacts sexually active women. Our goal is encourage women to have regular checks at their local clinic at least every three to five years.”

The long-term goal of the campaign is to implement a population-wide vaccination drive to permanently rid the UAE of cervical cancer. Since women do not report any noticeable symptoms until after the cancer has invaded the surrounding organs or spread to the lungs, detecting the virus early is crucial.

Speaking at the campaign launch Ms. Huda Abdalla, said, “This is a fantastic initiative and Dubai First is delighted to be associated with Zulekha Hospital for this noble cause. Awareness campaigns play a vital role in educating women about the success rate of early detection of cancer.  We will be working closely with Zulekha Hospital to ensure that this is a long-term initiative that generates a real impact on women and families across the UAE, which complements our CSR programme and efforts to contribute to the community.”

Lamia Abdulaziz Khan, commented: “Women tend to ignore their health, which is why Dubai Ladies Club has always been committed to helping raise awareness about the importance of regular health exams and tests that can help find problems before they start.

“By getting the right health services, screenings, and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life.  We are delighted to support this initiative by Zulekha Hospital that is making our community a healthier place.”

Dr. Layla Mohamed Al Marzouqi,  said: “Awareness about cervical cancer is critical for early detection and to help save lives.  Initiatives such as this encourage women to go for annual screenings and re-emphasise the importance of regular screening and early detection.”

Zulekha Hospital is strengthening its capability to treat patients suffering from cancer in Dubai and the Northern Emirates through the construction of a AED200 million centre for advanced specialised oncology treatment.

Staffed by specialists including radiation oncologists, physicists, and radiation therapists and managed as a centre of excellence for cancer care and research, the new Dubai facility is scheduled to open in early 2017.