In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, and in the presence of His Excellency Matar Al Nuaimi, the Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, the Centre is a subsidiary of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, launched the awareness campaign "Change the Story." The campaign aims to change perceptions, beliefs, communication methods, and behaviors related to breast cancer and promote a culture of regular early detection screenings in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The campaign, which will be conducted periodically for one year, aims to bridge the gap between awareness of the disease and taking necessary steps to assist the target audience in overcoming psychological, social, and environmental obstacles through four main pillars: behavior change, promoting a culture of regular early detection screenings for breast cancer, changing the community's perception of the disease, providing effective methods to deal with it at all stages, securing access and coverage for clinical and radiological breast mammograms for eligible groups, developing a unified disease registry, and enhancing the use of the latest methods and technologies for disease detection and treatment.
In this context, HE Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri, The Executive Director of the Community Health Sector at the Centre, said, "The campaign sheds light on changing the concept of breast cancer in the community by altering the narrative and encouraging all members of the community, both men and women, to take the initiative to change the story through commitment to regular early preventive screenings and promoting a healthy lifestyle. This campaign aligns with the strategy of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, which is committed to providing comprehensive, innovative, and outstanding healthcare services to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi."
The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre collaborates with strategic partners in this campaign to expand the implementation of goals in the health, social, and educational sectors, including the Ministry of Education, the Department of Education and Knowledge, the Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), M42 Healthcare, AstraZeneca, and the Emirates Foundation for School Education, to raise awareness about breast cancer and provide best practices for its prevention and treatment.
In this regard, Sameh El-Fangary, Gulf Cooperation Council Countries President at AstraZeneca, stated, “Despite advances in medical science, breast cancer is causing more deaths among women around the world each year. Better education, early testing and diagnosis are the key to reducing breast cancer mortality. At AstraZeneca, we have continuously expanded our understanding of breast cancer and created pioneering medicines including precision and personalized treatments to transform the lives of people living with the disease. We commend the actions of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre in raising awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early testing. It is through collaboration with our healthcare partners and the community that we will increase access to testing, improve treatment and conduct clinical research to ‘Change the Story’ with the hope of one day eliminating breast cancer as a cause of death.”
