Hospital offers free cervical cancer screening
sharjah — Cervical cancer is the second leading cancer in women and the seventh cause of deaths in the UAE. A leading healthcare provider in the emirate will provide free consultations throughout January, a month dedicated for cervical cancer awareness.
University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) will provide free consultations to help women aged between 20 and 65 years to know the early signs of cervical cancer every Thursday at the OBG Centre, outpatient department at the UHS.
The campaign offers a 50 per cent discount on pap tests and will run from 8m to 12pm.
In the UAE, 1.82 million women aged 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 Sheikh 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 UHS.
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 the chance for effective management,” added Prof Hakam Yaseen, medical director of UHS.
Common factors causing cervical cancer are smoking, low immunity, oral contraceptives, use of intrauterine device, obesity and human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. “It is our duty to encourage women and empower them to take charge of their health. We encourage women all over the UAE to take advantage of this free consultation to prevent this terrible disease.”
reporters@khaleejtimes.com