Let’s have more health awareness campaigns

Asurvey conducted earlier this month by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi revealed that 46 per cent of the women interviewed considers breast cancer as the biggest health threat. Yet the fact remains that breast cancer isn’t the number one risk. Heart diseases are the most frequent cause of death among women in the UAE and across the globe. The reason why women in the UAE think of breast cancer as a threat is because of the increased awareness about the disease. That’s the power of a good public health campaign. Dedicating October as the breast cancer awareness month has helped increase attention. At home, the Pink Caravan has done a fantastic job of making people aware of the importance of early detection and treatment as well as palliative care for this disease. The mobile caravan offers free screenings and educates people on the importance of early intervention. The campaign has made both men and women aware that mutating cells don’t discriminate between genders and it’s not just the women who are susceptible to this disease, but men are equally at risk. The pink riders are out on the streets of the UAE again, and their success should encourage more such health awareness campaigns.

The UAE has built state-of-the-art healthcare space. We have the technology and the knowhow, yet there is another aspect that needs due consideration and investment to ensure a healthier society: public health campaigns. About 30 per cent of cancer deaths are a result of the five leading behavioural and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol. While it might be tricky to figure out the extent of influence factors like the environment, genetics, and social support play in improving or deteriorating our health, health campaigns can really help mitigate such effect and save a lot more lives. We need more investments in ad campaigns that encourage better health behaviour like exercising, or quitting smoking. Events such as the Dubai 30X30 challenge should perhaps be replicated countrywide to encourage more people to have a healthy lifestyle. Awareness campaigns are valuable and they pay for themselves. Let’s have more of them.