Pink Caravan unveil Dh15m mobile screening unit

The Pink Caravan’s trek ended by announcing a new Dh15m mobile unit that will offer free breast cancer tests. Victor Besa for The National

ABU DHABI // This year’s Pink Caravan Ride may be over, but the campaign to raise public awareness about breast cancer continues.

On Wednesday evening, the organisers announced the launch of the CareVan mobile clinic, the UAE’s first state-of-the-art mobile mammography unit.

It marked the completion of the 150-strong caravan’s 10-day trek across the country.

The Dh15 million vehicle will offer free breast cancer screenings throughout the year.

The CareVan is the first of its kind in the region, and it is furnished with the latest equipment and devices for the early detection of breast cancer and other related tests, according to Ameera Binkaram, founding member of the Friends of Cancer Patients charity, which organises the annual caravan event.

She said the charity had been limited to offering free breast cancer screenings for 10 days in the past.

Meanwhile, Sharjah Media Corporation donated Dh13 million to the CareVan project.

This year, more than 5,300 men and woman were screened at 30 mobile clinics across the country. Twenty-three of them were referred to hospital for further examination.

People who visited the mobile clinics also received support from the many volunteers who answered questions about breast cancer.

They were also advised about self-examination, methods of detection, and what to do in the event of a positive diagnosis.

The initiative, which began in 2011, was supported by 150 doctors and 100 volunteers. They screened tens of thousands of people for cancer.

Over the course of their journey, which started in Sharjah and passed through every emirate, the Pink Caravan riders covered hundreds of kilometres.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide, with about 1.1 million women receiving positive diagnoses every year. Of this number, 410,000 will die.