ABU DHABI // The Pink Caravan annual ride that was expected to start on Saturday has been postponed until next year.
The breast cancer awareness initiative, where riders travel on horseback to remote regions to raise funds for cancer research and perform on-the-spot screenings, has been rescheduled for early next year.
The Friends of Cancer Patients society, which organises the Pink Caravan, said the move would allow the charity to focus on raising money to buy its own advanced mobile mammography unit through a SMS fundraising campaign.
“We hope to be able, by the support of the community, to buy and operate the mobile mammography unit, which will make it possible for us to avail free screening services all year round, not only during the Ride’s 11 days every year,” said Ameera Binkaram, president of the board of trustees and a founding member of the Friends of Cancer Patients.
Purchasing the unit will enable Pink Caravan to offers its services to more people throughout the year and reach a wider population, organisers said. The initiative had been renting a unit at high costs.
The SMS campaign aims to raise Dh15 million.
The annual event had already once been postponed from its original February starting date.
The Annual Ride had travelled more than 900 kilometres across the seven emirates, with participation from more than 250 riders and 200 volunteers. Lectures and presentations were delivered at more than 100 schools and more than 250 mobile medical clinics offering early breast cancer detection examinations have been carried out.
In February, the initiative held mobile medical clinics in all seven emirates. The fully-operational mobile mammography unit was staffed with a doctor for check ups and further referrals.
The Pink Caravan screened 5,214 people in February at its mobile clinics, bringing the total to 28,091 people screened for free in four years. Nearly 6,500 men have also been screened.
Last year, only 16 per cent of cases in Abu Dhabi were diagnosed at a late stage compared with 64 per cent in 2007, meaning women in the emirate have a better chance than ever of surviving breast cancer.
To donate Dh5, text PINK to 2302; for Dh10, text 2303; for Dh50, text 2305; for Dh100, text 2307 and for Dh500, text 2308.
“Every single dirham counts and will go to save precious lives,” Ms Binkaram said.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
