Breast Cancer on Rise in Middle East

ABU DHABI: The incidence of breast cancer is increasing rapidly across the Middle East, said doctors from UAE who met in Paris at the 2nd Middle East and Africa Oncology summit.

However, the medical experts agreed that the patients in the region suffering from the disease are living longer, WAM news agency reported.

The good news though, said the doctors from Abu Dhabi's Tawam Hospital, is that breast cancer cases (in UAE) are being caught much earlier, a critical factor in successful treatment of the chronic disease.

Prevention, early diagnosis and proper treatment are the only ways to bring down breast cancer statistics in the UAE. But for post-menopausal women, not all current treatments are safe and effective.

Health Authority - Abu Dhabi unveils forceful anti-smoking campaign

The Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HA-AD) unveiled its new anti-smoking public health awareness campaign ahead of this year’s World No Tobacco Day on 31st May. The announcement was made during a press conference at the HA-AD where senior officials revealed the particulars of the multi-million dirham campaigns program that will start with the anti-smoking campaign. Commencing on the 31st of May, the campaign will initially continue until the 13th of June and will highlight the health hazards related to smoking, give tips on how to quit smoking and will encourage 100% smoke-free work and public environments. The campaign will run for two weeks across newspapers, magazines, radio, internet, cinema and outdoor posters. Dr. Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the HA-AD stated that health education is one of the main pillars of the HA-AD strategy to fight diseases and improve the health status of people in the UAE. “Educating the people and stringently applying preventative policies will reduce the number of patients with cancer and other serious diseases in the future and will help us build a healthy society,” he added. Recent studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that smoking rates have risen at to an alarming level in the UAE. 24.3% of males between the ages of 13-15 are currently smoking tobacco products while as many as 42% of 17 year old males have developed smoking habits. Of the total male adult population in the country, 20% are smokers. Adult female smokers constitute 2.9%. “This campaign is the first of many to come. We will be using different activities and methods to help spread our message. We want to reach the largest number of people possible, whether they are smokers or non-smokers, and we will be emphasizing the massive dangers associated with smoking in our campaigns,” commented Eng. Zaid Al Siksek, Director of Health Policy and Regulation at the HA-AD. According to research conducted by the WHO, tobacco is responsible for causing the second largest number of deaths in the world. It causes lung and throat cancer, and heart disease plus increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, premature babies, stillbirth, early menopause, osteoporosis (brittle bone disease) in women, and impotence and prostrate cancer in men. Currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide, it is expected that tobacco will be responsible for the deaths of 650 million people between now and 2020 if current smoking trends continue. Dr. Oliver Harrison, Head of Public Health at the HA-AD, further commented that “Recent studies have revealed that the number of people smoking in the UAE is rising at an alarming rate. Via this campaign, we want to educate the public about the health risks and particularly how parents should be setting an example to their children.” Another focus of the campaign will be to promote Smoke-Free Environments (SFEs) and educate the public to help establish and respect these zones. The campaign will encourage people to demand smoke-free environments at their work places, and in public areas. According to the WHO, SFEs incentivise smokers to cut down or stop smoking altogether, and provide healthier spaces for all. Tips given by HA-AD to help quit smoking include:  Identify the triggers that make you smoke  Pick a quit date, plan it out properly, and stick to it  Change your attitude towards smoking and your lifestyle  Take it one day at a time, and congratulate yourself every day  Keep a calendar and mark off each smoke-free day  Pair up with another quitter for support  Throw away any remaining cigarettes  Carry chewing gum and drink lots of water  Avoid situations where you might be tempted to smoke  Keep track of all the money you save  Don’t feel guilty if you slip up – learn from the mistake  Think positive – you CAN do it!