In light of the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the UAE-based civil society organisation, Friends Of Cancer Patients (FOCP), has launched its ‘Pink October’ campaign, which will be led by its popular breast cancer awareness and early detection initiative – Pink Caravan – and feature 90+ events and activations across the nation, throughout October. The community events will be published by Pink Caravan on its socials @ThePinkCaravan for locals and residents to attend and benefit from.  

Free mammograms, awareness sessions & more: What you need to know
The state-of-the-art Pink Caravan Mobile Clinic will offer free mammograms to all 40+ female citizens and residents of the UAE who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, who are not experiencing any symptoms (as the clinic offers routine screenings, not diagnostic check ups), or have not had a mammogram for at least two years. The mammogram screenings are limited in number and will be offered on a first-come, first served basis. 

Additionally, the Pink Caravan MiniVan Clinic will provide clinical breast examinations to all women aged 20 years and above who walk in, without exception, including those who are not UAE residents.

The non-profit’s Corporate Wellness Day programme will be delivered to companies who have paid and booked the service to benefit their employees. FOCP will also be hosting specialised awareness sessions throughout the month, educating women about breast self-examination, the disease itself, its signs and symptoms. 

Pan UAE Pink October activations: The complete schedule 

On October 7, Pink Caravan’s Mobile Clinic will arrive at Festival Plaza, Dubai at 11am, to offer free screenings until 5pm; while the MiniVan Clinic will be in Kite Beach, 4-10pm. The Mobile Clinic will return to Kite Beach on October 29, 4-10pm. 

On Sunday, October 8, the Mobile Clinic will be stationed at the Mirdif City Centre, Dubai, 4-10pm.

On October 10, the Pink Caravan MiniVan Clinic will arrive at the Al Sharee Women & Kids Park – B, in Abu Dhabi, to empower the community with education and medical examinations from 11am-2pm.

On October 13, the Mobile Clinic will be offering its services in Sharjah’s popular leisure and entertainment destination, the Majaz Waterfront, 4-10pm.

On October 15, the Mobile Clinic will be offering free checkups at the Brands For Less Shopping Centre in Motor City Dubai from 10am-4pm.

On October 19, the MiniVan Clinic will offer two hours of free clinical exams and consultations at the Shangri La Hotel in Dubai, 4-6pm.

On October 27 & 28, Pink Caravan will be raising awareness in Dubai, where its Mobile Clinic will be offering free screenings to women at the Global Village from 5-10pm; while simultaneously, the MiniVan Clinic will be stationed at Global Village.  

On October 28, members of the public can also access the MiniVan Clinic at Al Habtoor Polo Club, Dubai from 2-6pm.

The monthlong activations will conclude on October 30, with the Pink Caravan Mobile Clinic offering free screenings from 4-10pm at City Walk, Dubai. 

Early detection will save lives…  

Aisha Al Mulla, Director of FOCP, noted: “If breast cancer was detected early, there will be more treatment options and a better chance for survival. This is the message Pink Caravan has been amplifying for the past 12 years, and this is what we are telling our beloved UAE community once again. We are excited to step into a busy month of awareness creation, and will be offering free screenings, awareness talks, and more across the UAE’s major emirates to empower society as well as dispel popular myths on breast cancer. I urge and encourage women to come forward and grab this opportunity, motivate their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends and relatives to come and benefit from our October offerings. A healthy community is a happy community, and we owe it to ourselves, our loved ones and our nation to take full responsibility for our wellbeing.”

Following a partnership call FOCP’s made earlier in July for private sector companies to promote its Breast Cancer Awareness Month efforts to enable wider community outreach, leading public and private sector entities have joined forces with them to sponsor their activations and maximise their impact.  

FOCP also encourages individuals and organisations to shop for a cause at their ‘Pink Shop’ https://www.focp.ae/shop/. Proceeds from all sales that they make through the ‘Pink October’ campaign will go towards funding the treatment journeys of patients that FOCP supports, in awareness creation and the moral support programmes they have designed for cancer patients and their families.  

Breast cancer is the world’s most prevalent malignancy today, and caused more than 685,000 deaths globally in 2020. At the same time, it is a medically proven fact that women whose breast cancer is detected at an early stage have a 93 percent or higher survival rate in the first five years. This makes Pink Caravan’s upcoming community awareness and engagement efforts pivotal to create awareness and build a strong, cancer-free society.  

To learn more about the locations across the UAE that will be offering free screenings, expert consultations, connect via the initiative’s social media channels @ThePinkCaravan.