Abu Dhabi: The Pink Caravan Ride successfully concluded its annual awareness campaign on breast cancer in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday after visiting all seven emirates and offering 5,160 free early detection cancer screenings.
Under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and founder and royal patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients, the eighth edition of the ride started in Sharjah on February 28, and saw its biggest participation with 230 riders, 200 medical practitioners, and over 100 volunteers.
This year’s ride, which travelled over 1,000 kilometres, managed to reach its highest number of people within a week of campaigning. In total, free screenings and mammograms were performed on 5,160 people. These included 4,452 women and 618 men. In terms of their nationalities, 1,059 were UAE nationals and 4,101 expatriates.
“I would like to express my gratitude for honouring me as an ambassador of the Pink Caravan Ride. I congratulate the 8th edition for journeying through the seven emirates, successfully once again. Your initiative has been doing exceptional work in raising hope of the community to be better equipped to combat a disease that is so widespread in our society,” Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, said at the closing ceremony.
“I congratulate you all for mobilising community awareness. The Pink Caravan Ride stands for great values this year and every year. It represents the values of the UAE by uplifting all humankind without any prejudice of ethnicity, gender or nationality. All the seeds of hope you have sowed in the Emirati community, I hope, will continue to grow and flourish,” he added.
“This eighth edition coincides with Year of Zayed, and revives in our heart our fondness for our founding father. Shaikh Zayed (Bin Sultan Al Nahyan) played a great role in developing human capital and has done a lot to improve the quality of life in the UAE. It is his legacy that we are taking forward today,” he said, praising all the volunteers who took part for embodying the humanitarian legacy of the late Shaikh Zayed.
Reem Bin Karam, head of the Pink Caravan’s Higher Steering Committee, also praised the efforts of all volunteers who took part in this year’s edition, and said that they were making a real impact within the community.
“Pink Caravan Ride has been a beacon of hope that unites us in our efforts to create a healthier and brighter future for our nation. All of you are the children of (Shaikh) Zayed and we are proud of you. We will continue to do our work in this regard, and ensure that we are relentless in our efforts to spread breast cancer awareness with each passing year, and ensure that we have limitless hope to grant to our fellow citizens and residents.
“Pink Caravan Ride in its eighth edition has witnessed participation of 200-plus riders, and covered over a 1,000 kilometres across the UAE. In eight years, we have spanned over 17,000 kilometres in our pursuit of reaching out to people with awareness and hope,” she added.
2018 ride in numbers
Over 1,000km travelled across all seven emirates
5,160 medical screenings
4,452 women and 618 men medically screened
1,059 UAE nationals and 4,101 expatriates
3,509 were given safe health cards, 277 referred for a mammogram, and 1,424 advised to undergo the ultrasound scan
3,558 of those screened were below 40 years
230 riders
200 medical practitioners
Over 100 volunteers
