Pink Caravan Reveals Statistics Of First Campaign
The Pink Caravan’s Medical and Awareness Committee released a detailed report about cases conducted of breast cancer early detection screenings during the 10 day Pink Caravan’s journey which travelled across the various areas and emirates in the UAE, last year.
As per statistics, the Pink Caravan’s medical teams received 1600 applications, including 852 UAE national male and female applicants, while 748 applications were received from expatriates. As a result of the preliminary check up, 133 cases were referred to further mammogram and ultrasound screenings. A number of breast cancer cases in several stages of progression were diagnosed through mammogram and patients were referred to receive the necessary treatment.
Pink Caravan’s medical and awareness committee said that all women aged over 40 years were referred to mammogram screening tests. The number of female applicants from this age group was 669; out of them some 68 cases were diagnosed as abnormal and needed further examinations to diagnose breast cancer, while 164 cases of women aged over 40 years were referred to ultrasound examinations, resulting in 64 cases that needed a further follow up to ensure safety.
Commenting on the statistics, Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Head of the Pink Caravan’s Medical and Awareness Committee, said: "Reaching 1600 cases in 10 days during last year’s journey was a big challenge for the Medical and Awareness Committee, particularly as the Pink Caravan was not yet well recognized by many people inside the country, especially in remote areas. Conducting 10.000 tests in 7 month by the end of last October posed a big logistic challenge to reach people in their residences and workplaces and to prepare the statistics and the other classification, archiving and follow up work. The most significant challenge was to follow up the cases and provide the necessary treatment, in addition to urging men and women to conduct regular tests and mammogram screening for women above 40 years".
"We will target 5000 cases in 17 days starting from the 1st of next April. We aim to conduct mammogram screening tests immediately during the examinations instead of referring the cases to hospitals as we used to do last year", she added.
On the other hand, Al Madhi said that The Pink Caravan’s Medical and Awareness Committee will continue with breast cancer awareness lectures at all the medical and awareness centers planned to be given in all the emirates, with the aim to raise awareness on the importance of self examination and early detection of breast cancer.
Pink Caravan gears up to start its second horseback journey in the first half of next April. The 10 day ride will travel across all the parts of the UAE to spread awareness on the importance of early detection of breast cancer and raise funds to buy mobile clinics equipped with modern technologies and these will be able to reach remote areas to conduct the mammogram tests.
Pink Caravan campaign will run annually until 2014, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and under the directives of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Honorary President of the FOCP. The second ride will be launched soon and details of this journey will be announced later. The first journey was launched in February 2nd 2011 and ran over 10 days, during which the journey crossed all parts of the UAE.
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