HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, dedicated 17 Arabian horses from Al Qasimi Stables to support the Pink Caravan's breast cancer awareness ride during the launch ceremony of the annual Pink Caravan Ride 2015 at the Sharjah Equestrian Club on Monday.
The Pink Caravan's pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) aims to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, and has the patronage and support of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC.
During the ceremony, the Ruler of Sharjah honoured sponsors who supported the Pink Caravan since its inception. HH also honoured gold donors and the Gold Ambassador for 2014, for their efforts in spreading awareness and for their continuous support to help the Pink Caravan convey its message to ensure the safety, tranquillity and happiness of the people of the UAE.
The honoured figures included Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister for International Cooperation and Development (MICAD), Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, wife of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chairperson of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of the Dubai Women's Establishment and Ambassador of Pink Caravan. Sheikh Mohammed bin Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the honour on behalf of Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Among the gold donors, Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi honoured Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, whose award was received by Noura Al Nouman, Director General of the Executive Office of Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi. HH also honoured Mohammed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, who received the award on behalf of the bank, and Mario Tomah, Deputy Director General of Bank of Sharjah who received the honour on behalf of the Bank of Sharjah.
While the Gold Ambassador Award went to Sheikha Hessa bint Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ambassador of the Pink Caravan and owner of Forta Stud Stables, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the honour on her behalf.
The launching ceremony was attended by a number of prominent figures, including Ambassador Sally Cowl, Senior Vice President of the American Cancer Society Global Health Work, Cary Adams, Chief Executive of the International Cancer Control Union, Dr. John Seffrin, Chief Executive of the American Cancer Society, Khalid Al Saleh, Secretary General of the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control, and Dr. Soad bin Amir, Deputy Chairman of Zahra Breast Cancer Association in Saudi Arabia.
Other dignitaries also included Dr. Eman Khader, Director General and Founder of the Help and Hope Programme for Breast Cancer Patients in Palestine, Dr. Nofouz Mossalamani, Medical Director of Dunya Women's Cancer Centres in Palestine, and Heba Tantash, Executive Director Corporate Social Responsibility at Bank of Palestine, in addition to representatives of the Saudi Cancer Society.
The ceremony started with a short documentary about preparations for the launch of the ride including the interaction between teams, committees and volunteers, to provide everything the Pink Caravan needs during its 10-day tour. The film depicted the positive response from all segments of the community and some of the initiative's triumphs, including offering free screenings to approximately 29,000 people, including 6,531 men, across the UAE.
Ameera BinKaram, President of the Board of Trustees and Founding Member of FoCP, highlighted the major achievements made by the Pink Caravan since it was founded. She said, "The Pink Caravan came into existence in April 2011 as the first initiative of the "Kashf" programme, launched by the Friends of Cancer Patients. Since its inception, the initiative succeeded in making significant achievements with regards to raising awareness about the importance of fighting breast cancer. Every year, over150 male and female horse riders of various nationalities travel across the seven emirates to spread awareness and hope. As the horses make their way across the streets of the UAE, the echo of the Pink Caravan can be heard in every city, district and house in the UAE."
She added, "The Pink Caravan Ride has so far travelled 940km throughout the seven emirates, with the participation of more than 350 male and female riders, 200 volunteers and over 400 mobile medical clinics. The Pink Caravan Ride visited 84 schools and presented educational lectures about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Over 500 training workshops were also conducted on how to perform self-examinations."
Dr. John Seffrin, Chief Executive of the American Cancer Society, said, "I believe we have never been so prepared to finish the fight against cancer and make this hope a reality. We have made progress in so many parts of the world. We already know how to save so many lives. In my own country, we have seen a more than 20% decline in cancer mortality in the past two decades. That means we are saving 500 lives each and every day."
Dr. Seffrin added, "Sharjah has led the way with compassion, equality, and progress. It continues to be an example for the region and for the world as a centre of culture and learning, and in your work to help the less fortunate and reach beyond cultures to find common ground."
Cary Adams, Chief Executive of the UICC applauded the major role played by Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi to battle cancer worldwide in collaboration with the UICC. He said, "It is a great honour for me to be part of this event. The International Cancer Control Union is considered one of the largest global institutions working in the fight against cancer. We always seek to unify efforts and intensify international action to fight the disease, and I am very proud of the role played by the Friends of Cancer Patients Society and its team to place breast cancer on the global agenda."
Adams urged everyone to undergo examinations for the early detection of breast cancer and said, "We are announcing the launch of the Life-Saving Campaign in partnership with FoCP as we strive to stop the spread of cancer by fighting risk and contributing factors. Recent studies show that 50% of cancer types can be avoided if contributing factors are taken into consideration."
At the end of the ceremony, Sheikh Sultan signalled the start of the ride and the expedition headed for Al Dhaid city traveling 31, 9 km on its first day. The Pink Caravan will be accompanied by mobile clinics, along with a professional medical team, which will provide free breast cancer screenings and awareness lectures and workshops on the danger of the disease and on how to carry out self-examination.
The free mobile clinics will open daily from 9am to 7pm to offer medical tests and breast cancer screening in each emirate. On the first day of the Pink Caravan tour mobile clinics at Al Qasimi Hospital, Charity Society Association in Sharjah and Al Dhaid Hospital received men and women of various nationalities. The clinics will be available in Kalba Hospital, Dibba Al Fujairah Hospital and Masafi Hospital in Al Fujairah on Tuesday and in Al Thamid Clinics in Sharjah, Fujairah Hospital and Khorfakkan Hospital on Wednesday.
A series of educational and awareness-raising activities will also take place at dozens of venues across the UAE. These activities include a children's show to educate them about the disease and inspire them to encourage their parents to undergo early detection tests. Another activity will bring together cancer patients and their families in order to engage community members in a show of solidarity to raise hope among patients and provide them with moral support.
Marking the 5th anniversary of its founding, the Pink Caravan Ride 2015 has adopted the theme #aPinkThankYou in a show of gratitude and appreciation to everyone who helped them in achieving their objectives. With over 150 professional male and female horse rides, the Pink Caravan will pass through all seven Emirates, in addition to Al Ain city, and will wrap up the 10-day tour on March 25 in Abu Dhabi.
The 2015 Pink Caravan Ride has seen an overwhelming support from local and international figures, including directors and employees of government organisations and private businesses, as well as those in the medical and health profession, sports personalities, TV and film celebrities, intellectuals, community celebrities, businessmen, school and university students and media representatives reflecting the strong desire to support the Pink Caravan's mission to raise community awareness about breast cancer and reduce its prevalence.
The Pink Caravan is the first initiative that falls under the umbrella of the 'KASHF' programme, which is dedicated to providing information and guidance to facilitate the early detection of many types of cancer, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate, melanoma, and colon cancer. The initiative aims to raise awareness about breast cancer 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 to offer free breast cancer screenings.
Source: WAM