Press Release
University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) to provide free consultations for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
When detected at an early stage, the five-year survival rate for women with invasive cervical cancer is 92 per cent
Sharjah, xxx January 2018
Cervical cancer is the second leading cancer in women and seventh cause of deaths in the UAE. For Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, University Hospital Sharjah (UHS), the leading healthcare provider in the emirate, willprovide free consultations to spot the signs for one of the world's most prevalent cancers. For the first week of its launch, women aged between 20 and 65 yearswill be provided free consultations every Thursday in January at the OBG Centre, Outpatient Department at UHS. Running from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, the campaign also offers a 50 per cent discount on Pap tests.
In the UAE, 1.82 million women age 15 years old and older are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Present approximations suggest that every year, 93 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer with 28 deaths related from the disease.
“At UHS, we are committed to achieving the vision of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah to drive the emirate and the country towards a healthy landscape. While the free consultation aims to raise community awareness to combat cervical cancer and promote the concept of early detection and regular check-ups among UAE society, it also offers residents a chance to dispel the myths and misconceptions about the disease,” said Dr Ali Obaid Al Ali, CEO of University Hospital Sharjah.
With January being Cervical Cancer Awareness month, the free consultation campaign aims to spread consciousness about Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and cervical cancer through joint support, education and cooperation among healthcare professionals, stakeholders and patients.
“Cervical cancer happens when there is an abnormal growth of cells in the lower part of the uterus which is the cervix. It usually takes more than a few years for cervical pre-cancer to change to cervical cancer however it can also happen in less than a year. When detected at an early stage, the five-year survival rate for women with invasive Cervical Cancer is 92 per cent. As such, our aim in running the free consultation is to help residents eliminate doubts and raise thechance for effective management,” added Professor HakamYaseen, Medical Director (CMO) of UHS.
Some of the common factors causing Cervical Cancer are smoking, low immune system, oral contraceptives, use of Intrauterine Device, obesity and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Infection.“As responsible healthcare professionals it is our duty to encourage women and empower them to take charge of their health. As such, we encourage women all over the UAE to take advantage of this free consultation to prevent this terrible disease in 2018,” concluded Professor Hakam.
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