Friends Of Cancer Patients (FOCP), member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), has recently concluded participation at two major high-level international gatherings dedicated to furthering global cancer control – the 2018 World Cancer Congress (WCC) and the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit (WCLS), hosted by one of UICC’s member nations, Malaysian cancer society.

The UAE’s leading non-profit cancer control non-profit have met with 350 leaders and key decision makers from around the world to further discussions on securing a coordinated, multileveled global response to address the spiralling cancer epidemic, and shared insights and experiences of the multitude of cancer awareness and control initiatives they have implemented in the UAE in the past three decades that have benefitted cancer patients and their families, healthcare practitioners and local community.

FOCP delegation, led by Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FOCP, included Lize De Jonge, Programs Manager; Badr Al Jaaidi, Project Manager of FOCP initiative Relay For Life, Haya Merai, Programs Executive; and Abdulrahman Mohamed, Beneficiary Executive.

Members of the FOCP delegation presented six innovative FOCP campaigns, which aim to empower the generation to better address prevention and elimination of this life-threatening disease for future generations. These included two fundraising campaigns, ‘Kick Cancer’ and ‘Relay for Life’; their childhood cancer awareness campaign for school children, ‘Ana-vation’, which involved 150 students across the UAE in a competition that required them to invent an innovative solution to detect symptoms of paediatric cancer using DIY robotics kits; as well as FOCP’s educational and creative workshops, entertainment trips and sporting activities for children battling cancer and their families, ‘Joy Cart’ and ‘Colour My World’, which offer emotional and psychological support by engaging them in rewarding and enjoyable activities that help to increase their solidarity and elevate their morale in order that they may overcome the disease and “Pink Caravan” a pan UAE breast cancer initiative that falls under Friends of Cancer Patients’ umbrella “Kashf” for early detection of cancer .         

Kick Cancer campaign was launched by FOCP to reduce the fatalities caused by prostate and testicular cancer among the UAE and Middle Eastern male populace by raising awareness about regular screenings and self-examinations through the popular sport of football under the message “from good football to football for good”. 41 screenings were done to raise awareness for the great cause.

With Participation of more than 2500 individuals, FOCP launched the region's first ever Relay For Life in Sharjah, last year. The impact of the event was unparalleled, saw the UAE community come out strongly in support of cancer awareness and control and express solidarity with those who have overcome cancer or are undergoing treatment.

FOCP, being a member of the UICC, participated at the WCC General Assembly to cast a vote for the election of the congress’ new board members. Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FOCP presented the successful experience of FOCP’s pan-UAE breast cancer awareness campaign, the Pink Caravan, at a panel discussion titled, ‘Barriers and opportunities for early detection of breast cancer in the Middle East’ chaired by Dr. Rola Shahin, Cancer Care Ontario (Canada).

Through her presentation, Dr Sawsan addressed one of the panel’s main question – lessons learned from opportunistic and organized screening approaches in the Middle East – by highlighting how the Pink Caravan campaign brought a significant change in people’s mindsets about treating breast cancer and cancer in general as a social taboo to accepting it as any other human illness and reaching out for diagnosis and treatment. This has reflected in the incremental growth in the number of free screenings that Pink Caravan’s annual awareness ride across the seven emirates has conducted while emphasizing on multi sectorial collaborations for effective and sustainable impact. Until 2018’s ride, they offered free screenings to 56,667 citizens and residents including 10,261 males. In its past eight editions, 47 positive cases have been detected by the Pink Caravan Ride.

The WCC is an initiative of the UICC. It is a recognised international conference which encourages effective knowledge transfer and best practices exchange amongst 3,500 cancer control and public health experts from 150 countries.

The WCLS is traditionally held in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and is hosted by a UICC Member from the region.