Dubai: As part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and in line with the Dubai government’s 2017 Year of Giving, Zulekha Hospital launched the ‘Chance to Change’ campaign to raise awareness of cervical cancer on Tuesday.
Commonly caused by the human pappiloma virus (HPV), cervical cancer can be easily prevented through early screenings, vaccinations, early detection and treatment, a senior Zulekha Hospital spokesperson said.
“Cervical cancer can affect as many as 93 women across the UAE every year,” Zanubia Shams, co-chairperson of Zulekha Hospitals said. “The number of fatal cases among these can be as high as 28. For a disease that can be easily prevented and eradicated through regular screening and vaccinations, we have made it our goal to reach as many women in the emirates as possible.”
This year’s initiative, under the theme ‘Chance to Change’, will run for the fourth consecutive year as one of the hospital’s key community social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to campaign and raise awareness among women for the prevention and fight against cervical cancer.
This year’s initiative has been dedicated to the late Amira Bin Karam, former chairwoman of the Sharjah Business Women Council and Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), in recognition of her passion for humanitarian and female empowerment services.
Dr Pamela Munster, Professor, Department of Medicine (Haematology/Oncology) at University of California, delivered the keynote speech, which addressed the importance of staging awareness events across the UAE.
“Events such as these are so important,” Dr Munster said. “They not only shine a light on cervical cancer and the dangers surrounding it but they also open up the line of communication between the hospital and the patient. We have seen the exponential growth of Zulekha Hospital’s campaigns from 475 women receiving free consultations and Pap tests in 2015 to over 1,400 in 2016.
Zulekha Hospital’s 2016 campaign drive recorded more than 1,400 women taking advantage of the free specialist gynaecologist consultations, Pap tests and HPV vaccines provided by its branches in Sharjah and Dubai.
