Pink Caravan

Posted on

13 October 2013

| Last updated on 5 March 2015

Pink Caravan

The Pink Caravan is a Pan UAE breast cancer awareness initiative launched in 2011 by Friends of Cancer Patients, a UAE charitable organisation, to commemorate the occasion of their 10th anniversary celebrations. Find out what Pink Caravan is about.

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Pink Caravan Ride

Riding for Courage

The Pink Caravan Ride is a national pan UAE awareness trek, throughout the seven emirates including remote and outlying areas. Each year over 150 experienced equine riders join forces, garnering support across different sectors, bringing together schools, universities, corporations, Pink Caravan ambassadors and royalty.

The Pink Caravan Ride to date has travelled over 940 km across the seven emirates, with over 250 riders, 200 volunteers and 410 mobile medical clinics offering early breast cancer detection examinations for 28,949 people, including 6,531 men.. The Pink Caravan Ride has also visited 84 schools delivering educational sessions and lectures about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

This year, the Pink Caravan Ride will be taking place between March 16th and 25th, 2015!

Fam aids Pink Caravan cover treatment costs of cancer patients

Breast cancer awareness campaign to reach universities across UAE

To mark October as international breast cancer awareness month, a pledge of contribution has been made to Pink Caravan, the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) charitable society, to cover treatment costs of cancer patients.
During October, 1 AED from the sale of each packet of Fam product will be donated to the charity. A cancer awareness campaign, running side by side during the entire month, will also reach various varsities across UAE.

Commenting on the initiative, Secretary General for the Friends of Cancer Patients charitable society and Head of the Pink Caravan's Medical and Awareness committee, Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, said, “Pink Caravan is committed to improving the lives of breast cancer patients as well as their families. We have been very successful, thanks to the wholehearted efforts and support given to us by UAE’s corporate community as well as the government.”

She went on to add, “The fight against cancer cannot be undertaken by a single entity alone, various stakeholders, come together and it is only then that real change comes. We are grateful for the pledge made by Napco, as the money raised will be used to support and improve the quality of life for patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer.”

Country Manager, Mr. Elias Faysal, said, “We recognize the crucial work being done by Pink Caravan and are delighted to support such a charity. We hope that our donation will enable the team to continue making a difference in the lives of the many people diagnosed with breast cancer in the UAE.”

Napco is proud and determined to practice the good values in the society where we are present as stated by the founder of our company Mr. George Frem, “What is good for the community is good for the company. What is good for the company, we will strive to do excellently and in a way that enriches the lives of our people.”

Corporations join hands with Pink Caravan to raise breast cancer awareness

Various big players to host Wellness Days to raise cancer awareness, Pink Caravan to provide free screenings

Following on the success of last year’s corporate awareness initiative, Pink Caravan, the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) charitable society, will again be hosting wellness days at corporate sites across the country this October.

To mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a team of professional medical practitioners will visit 10 companies during the month to offer free screenings and awareness lectures to visitors and employees, with referrals for further treatment if necessary. Pink Caravan’s medical teams will provide free screenings for one day at each corporate location –each corporation is chosen for their commitment and initiative to support cancer awareness. The Wellness Days will also aim to educate attendees on the importance of regular self-examination as a precaution against breast cancer. Apart from medical awareness, all corporations will be actively involved in raising funds internally throughout the month of October and donating to Pink Caravan.

SEE ALSO: Pink Caravan’s Medical Staff trains for Effective Awareness Communication

Commenting on the campaign, Secretary General for the Friends of Cancer Patients charitable society and Head of the Pink Caravan's Medical and Awareness committee, Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, said, “The goal of our corporate wellness days and free public examinations is to encourage a higher number of people to visit treatment centres and to educate them on how to conduct self-examinations on a regular basis. Last year’s campaign was a resounding success due to the enthusiastic support from corporations across UAE. We are hoping to replicate that achievement, reaching even greater numbers of people across the UAE this year.”

Dr Sawsan went on to say, “Breast cancer is not an easy topic to broach, but our campaigns are designed to break down barriers and to actively encourage more people to get themselves checked. We need people to understand that regular self-examination can increase the chances of early detection which, in turn, can significantly raise chances of survival.”

The wellness days will be hosted by MBC group, Marks & Spencer, Coca Cola, Dubal, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Pepsico and others.

Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, and there are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year. If detected at an early stage, the disease has an almost 95% cure rate.

About Pink Caravan

The Pink Caravan functions under the umbrella of the "KASHF" program, which is an initiative to promote awareness of the importance of the early detection of cancer. KASHF also works towards providing information and guidance to facilitate the early detection of many types of cancer, i.e. breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate, melanoma, and colon cancer. KASHF’s first project is flagged through the Pink Caravan initiative which was especially designed to raise awareness around breast cancer and to encourage both women and men, residing within the United Arab Emirates, to perform self-examinations and go for regular medical check-ups.

SEE ALSO: Check out our Pink Caravan gallery

The initiative was launched under the patronage of HRH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Founder and royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Charitable Organization (FoCP).

The Pink Caravan aims to raise awareness around breast cancer early detection and screening methods, lobby for the creation of the first UAE National Cancer Registry, and raise sufficient funds to purchase and operate a state of the art mobile mammography unit. The Pink Caravan ride takes place annually, focusing across all seven emirates of the UAE, including remote and outlying areas. Over 150 experienced equine riders join forces each year, garnering support across different sectors, bringing together schools, universities, corporations, Pink Caravan ambassadors and royalty. The funds raised during this awareness campaign will ensure the availability of the latest technology and highest quality in the early screening and detection of breast cancer, making services accessible to every woman and man in the UAE.

A novel and unique initiative, the Pink Caravan has garnered widespread recognition locally, regionally, and internationally. To date the Pink Caravan Ride has travelled over 900 km across the seven emirates, with over 250 riders and 200 volunteers helping to ensure its success. Lectures and presentations were delivered at more than 50 schools and more than 250 mobile medical clinics offering early breast cancer detection examinations have been set up with a total of 21,795 people, including over 5,450 men, being screened. Pink caravan had recruited ambassadors from different walks of life to lobby and advocate for its mission and primarily help raise the 15 million dirhams fund.

In June 2012 Pink Caravan and University Hospital Sharjah signed an MOU marking the beginning of the ‘Cancer Centre of Excellence’, which will be known throughout the Gulf as the flagship referral and treatment centre of all cancers with its first phase focused on breast cancer, which is considered a major milestone for The Pink Caravan.