UAE-based Zulekha Hospital has reported a record increase in the number of female patients registered for screenings and Pap tests during cervical cancer awareness campaign.

 About 1.82 million UAE-based women now at risk of developing the disease, a statement said.
Inaugurated in May by Humaid Al Qatami, chairman of Dubai Health Authority, the ‘Smear, Don’t Fear’ campaign saw more than 1,400 women taking the advantage of free specialist gynaecologist consultations and undergoing Pap tests and  HP vaccines in Zulekha Hospital in Sharjah and Dubai.

“The response we received was overwhelming as the number of women making appointments tripled since last year,” said Zanubia Shams, co-chairperson of Zulekha Hospital. “This is a great success and a clear sign that our messages about cervical cancer being preventable through Pap tests and vaccinations get across and empower women to beat the disease.”

The campaign, which ran until June 30 with support from prominent doctors, local cancer campaigners and leading authorities, highlighted the importance of early detection as cervical cancer is the second-most commonly diagnosed form of cancer among women in the UAE.

Citing HPV Information Centre statistics from February 2016, Shams added: “As many as 1.82 million female UAE residents are at risk of developing cervical cancer and our campaign will launch every year until we permanently eradicate cervical cancer from the country.”

Dr Pamela Munster, the campaign’s long-term ambassador and an internationally renowned cancer expert from University of California, San Francisco, said: “Cervical cancer is usually transmitted by a virus that can be completely eradicated and we want to make people realise that by vaccinating both girls and boys from as early age as nine up to twenty-six, it can be achieved.

“The virus takes about 20-30 years to develop into a cancer, so there’s a wide time-frame during which women can act to fight it. Pap smears do not hurt and they are extremely effective in preventing this type of cancer, so we are extremely pleased with the number of women who attended free consultations, received Pap smears and recommendations for the vaccine at Zulekha Hospital.” – TradeArabia News Service