Friends of Cancer Patients, FOCP, has won the "3G Service Excellence Award for Social Sector and Philanthropy" for the second year in a row in recognition of its activities to promote funding and raise awareness about cancer.

The 2018 award ceremony took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 23rd April, and Nelofar Al Bastaki, Charge d'Affaires, UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, received the award on FOCP’s behalf. The Global Good Governance Awards, 3G Awards, have been developed by Cambridge IF Analytica as part of its social responsibility initiatives. It celebrates individuals, governments, public and private institutions and NGOs that demonstrate making governance and sustainability a strategic priority of their organisations.

Since winning this award in 2017, FOCP has continued strongly in their efforts to alleviate the sufferings of cancer patients and their families by offering financial, psychological and moral support through fund-raising activities and free treatment. It has led several community initiatives and organised forums to heighten people’s awareness about the risks of cancer.

Through the course of 2017, FOCP launched several humanitarian initiatives that aim to promote community awareness about the disease. The foremost of these efforts was the annual pan-UAE Pink Caravan Ride breast cancer awareness campaign that offered free medical screenings to over 7,000 citizens and residents in a bid to sensitise them about the importance of early detection.

In November last year, FOCP brought the American Cancer Society’s "Relay for Life" fundraising campaign for the first time to the UAE. The 24-hour walkathon saw the participation of 52 schools, six universities, eight sponsors, 34 authorities and 67 cancer survivors. Later that month, they hosted more than 350 delegates and 80 expert speakers including scientists, medical pioneers, support groups, NGOs and civil societies from 68 countries across five continents at the second global forum on non-communicable diseases, NCDs, in Sharjah, which aims to develop new strategies to prevent and curtail lifestyle diseases that kill 40 million people each year, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths globally.

FOCP also launched community-based fundraising campaigns such as "Deserve a Life" and "Dirham for Hope," aimed at supporting those who have difficulty in affording high costs of cancer treatment in the UAE.

Sawsan Jafar, Chairperson of FOCP Board of Directors, said, "This prestigious award celebrates FOCP’s longstanding commitment to social welfare and social responsibility. The fact that we have won the award again this year bears testimony to the exceptional efforts and leadership of all individuals who are part of FOCP, as well as partnering government organisations, corporations and civil society organisations who have taken our agenda of equipping the UAE community with better access to free health services and cancer awareness, many steps forward."