Abu Dhabi: In a bid to create awareness about cancer and advocate preventative measures, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) launched a campaign today (September 28).
Targeted primarily towards adolescent and young women as well as those aged 40 and above, the campaign aims to disseminate key information and promote behaviours that can help prevent cancer, the Haad announced in a statement sent today (September 28).
Haad is the emirate’s health-care sector regulator.The campaign will run for six months from October 2014 to March 2015, coinciding with the global awareness months for each respective disease: October for breast cancer, November for lung cancer, January for cervical cancer and March for colorectal cancer.
According to the Haad, cancer is the third leading cause of death in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, accounting for an estimated 13 per cent of mortalities each year. Forty-five per cent of these occur among women, and 55 per cent in men. The five top cancer causes of death for both genders are cancers of the breast (11.64 per cent), lung (11.16 per cent), liver (10.69 per cent), blood (10.21 per cent) and colorectum (7.84 per cent).
“Global statistics showed that around 30 per cent of cancer deaths are a result of five leading behavioural and dietary risks, namely, tobacco and alcohol use, a high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, as well as the lack of physical activity. We hope to reach out to people and encourage them to avoid harmful behaviours such as these,” said Dr Jala’a Assad Taher, manager of non-communicable diseases at the Haad.
