DUBAI // Health officials yesterday launched a new service aiming to break down the cultural barriers that prevent Arab women attending check-ups and being vaccinated against cervical cancer.
The Emirates Cervicare Network (ECN) has been created by the Ministry of Health and the Emirates Medical Association to encourage women of all ages to go for an annual Pap smear test and young girls to be vaccinated against the cancer-causing virus.
According to data from the MoH, more than 40 die every year from cervical cancer in the UAE, making it the second biggest killer of women in the country after breast cancer.
A vaccination against the infection that causes cervical cancer, called human papillomavirus, or HPV, is available from doctors and costs about Dh1,000 (US$272).
Part of the ECN's role will be to "de-stigmatise" the culture of regular Pap smears and the vaccination of young girls for HPV, which is seen primarily as a sexually transmitted disease, although medical experts say it can develop without having sex. In Europe, girls as young as nine or 10 are vaccinated, but girls in the UAE are not even considered for vaccination until the age of 17.
"In terms of the stigma surrounding this, a lot of women will not go for the vaccine because of the sexual implications," said Dr Haifa Hamad Fares, the family medicine specialist at the MoH. "They will go for the Pap smear, but there still needs to be more awareness; many still don't know about cervical cancer."
Awareness campaigns will be launched next month, including advertising on Dubai buses, free information packs in Enoc and Epco petrol stations, Carrefour and Union Co-operative supermarkets and several malls and lectures at women's organisations such as the Dubai Ladies Club. The campaign is focusing on Emirati women, but wants to ensure all women are aware of cervical cancer.
Dr Awatef al Bahar, a consultant gynecologist at the Canadian Hospital in Dubai, said: "Tell your mother, sister and auntie to come in for regular check-ups. Try not to smoke, eat healthy food and stay positive; these are all key ways to help prevent cervical cancer. Above all, go for a Pap smear; they are cheap, non-painful and very informative. The vaccination, although it is Dh1,000, is very cheap when you consider the cost and pain of having treatment for HPV and cervical cancer."
Worldwide, one woman dies of the cancer every two minutes. It is considered one of the most preventable types of cancer, despite the fact there are 500,000 new cases and 300,000 deaths per year.
Shaymaa Ahmed, 32, a mother of two young children, said she had never been tested. "I've heard of cervical cancer and am aware of the test, but I've never had it done," she said. "It's not something that is stressed enough and so I don't really think about."
She did not have all the information about cervical cancer "and no one has talked to me about it, about preventing it, or about the importance of the test. I learnt about it through the media, but then it is not often brought up. I think there should be more awareness raised on the topic, just like they are doing with breast cancer."
Hana Mohamed, an Emirati, 41, said she was aware of cervical cancer, but was not sure if she had been tested. "I only visit the gynecologist when I'm not feeling well, like in a case of an infection or during pregnancy, so I'm not sure if any samples taken were used to test for cervical cancer," she said. "I realise it's important to get tested and that it is a great thing that early detection can save your life, but I rarely hear anything about the subject and don't have the details."
Mrs Mohamed, a mother of two teenage boys, was surprised to learn that so many women in the Middle East died from the disease. "I don't know anyone with the disease and I assumed that you are more likely to get it if you have poor hygiene, if you are promiscuous, or if you already have it in the family, so for those reasons I never considered it a pressing issue and assumed I was relatively safe," she said. "There should be more done to educate women on the subject and people should be given the facts. At the moment, there is no pressure put on women to get tested and generally there is not enough awareness, so many women get lazy and not bother with it."
The cost of cervical cancer was huge, said Dr Fares. "The combined social, economic burden of cervical cancer is significant as it touches the lives of those depending on these women. There is a huge gap in knowledge about cervical cancer and its prevention, which needs to be filled in," he said.
* The National
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
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THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Bethesda%20Game%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Bethesda%20Softworks%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20Xbox%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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