‘Pink October’: Free breast cancer screenings all month in the UAE

The Pink Caravan Mobile Clinic will offer free mammograms to all women aged 40 and over. They must not be pregnant, nursing, or experiencing any symptoms (as the clinic offers routine screenings, not diagnostic checkups). Additionally, they should not have had a mammogram for at least two years. Mammograms are limited in number and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition, the Pink Caravan MiniVan Clinic will provide clinical breast examinations to all women aged 20 and over who attend, without exception, including those who are non-UAE residents.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit’s Corporate Wellness Day program will be delivered to businesses that have paid for and booked the service for their employees. The FOCP will also host specialized awareness sessions throughout the month, educating women about breast self-examination, the disease itself, its signs and symptoms.

Aisha Al Mulla, director of the FOCP, said: “If breast cancer is detected early, there will be more treatment options and greater chances of survival. “This is the message that Pink Caravan has been amplifying for the past 12 years, and this is what we are saying to our beloved UAE community once again.”

Women whose breast cancer is detected at an early stage have a survival rate of 93 percent or more in the first five years, according to the FOCP citing medical research. Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant disease in the world today, causing more than 685,000 deaths worldwide in 2020.

Following a partnership call FOCP held in early July for private sector companies to promote their Breast Cancer Awareness Month efforts to enable broader community outreach, leading public and private sector entities have joined forces join forces with them to sponsor their activations and maximize their impact.

FOCP also encourages individuals and organizations to shop for a cause in its online ‘Pink Shop’. Proceeds from all sales made through the ‘Pink October’ campaign will go towards funding the treatments of patients supported by FOCP, raising awareness and the moral support programs they have designed for cancer patients and your families.

October 7: Pink Caravan’s mobile clinic will arrive at Festival Plaza, Dubai, at 11am, offering free screenings until 5pm. On the same day, MiniVan Clinic will be at Kite Beach, from 4pm to 10pm.

October 8: The mobile clinic will be located in Mirdif City Centre, Dubai, from 4pm to 10pm.

October 10: The Pink Caravan MiniVan clinic will arrive at Al Sharee Women and Children Park – B, Abu Dhabi, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On October 13, the mobile clinic will be in Sharjah, at Majaz Waterfront, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

October 15: Mobile Clinic will offer free check-ups at Brands For Less mall in Motor City Dubai from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On October 19, the MiniVan Clinic will offer two hours of free clinical consultations and examinations at the Shangri La Hotel in Dubai, from 4 to 6 p.m.

October 27-28: Mobile Clinic will offer free screenings to women in Global Village from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm; MiniVan Clinic will also be located in Global Village.

On October 28, MiniVan Clinic will be at Al Habtoor Polo Club, Dubai, from 2 pm to 6 pm

October 29: The Mobile Clinic will return to Kite Beach in Dubai, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

October 30: Mobile Clinic will offer free screenings from 4 pm to 10 pm at City Walk, Dubai.

*In addition, a Pink Mobile Clinic will be set up on Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi on October 14 and 21, offering free breast cancer screenings in partnership with SEHA.