Bahrain Cancer Society has once more joined the regional and international communities to mark Gulf Cancer Awareness Week and World Cancer Day and reminded that all people have an important role to play in fighting cancer.
The society held a symbolic gathering under strict COVID-19 precautionary measures on Monday to mark the start of the Gulf Cancer Awareness Week held this year from February 1 to 7 under the theme “40 Percent Protection & 40 Percent Healing.”
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates- have adopted the first week of February every year as Gulf Cancer Awareness week.
The week, held for the sixth time, aims to raise health awareness about risk factors leading to cancer, to encourage the community to adopt a healthy lifestyle including diet and physical activity as well as to promote public health, professional health and the importance of early detection of cancer for better prognosis.
It also aims to activate national cancer control programs and the shared responsibility of the governmental and non-governmental sectors in them.
The message of the GCC campaign is to strengthen the relationship between all stakeholders in the society in raising health awareness through the preparation and implementation of quality and effective joint educational programs and activities that help in cancer prevention and control.
The World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 under the theme “I Am and I Will” that demonstrates the high significance and enduring power of cooperation and collective action.
Bahrain Cancer Society President Dr. Abdulrahman Fakhro said that due to the exceptional conditions imposed by COVID-19, this year’s programs will be limited to providing virtual awareness lectures to increase awareness about cancer and its control and the methods that must be followed to limit its spread and combat it.
He said that the Bahrain Cancer Society has noticed a decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer due to early detection by Pap smear, and a steady increase in the number of ovarian cancer cases.
Women should be encouraged to have a pelvic ultrasound to examine the uterus and the ovaries, he added.