Editor's Word

 

Dear Colleagues,

We are celebrating the 4th year of the annual Gulf Awareness Week on February 2019 in continuation of our efforts to raise awareness on cancer throughout the gulf region. This annual activity started in February 2016 in partnership between the Gulf Centre for Cancer Control and Prevention (GCCCP) under the Executive Office of the Health Ministers’ Council for the GCC and the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control representing 18 cancer associations in the region. The slogan of this campaign “40 x 40” means 40% protection and 40% healing based on scientific evidence that suggests 40% of cancers can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle while the other 40% can be cured if diagnosed early and treated appropriately. Everyone is invited to join and support the programs and activities of our cancer associations in their respective localities.

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I am very pleased to report that the 3rd mission of the Gulf Awareness Group Against Cancer (GACAC) for a medical field mission to Mauritania on November 2-10, 2018 was a success. It may be recalled that this campaign, “Awareness Without Borders” was first conceived in 2012 by a group of Gulf doctors to visit some Arab countries which are in desperate state and need health and humanitarian assistance. With the support of WHO-EMRO, the campaign was adopted every two years, the first in Yemen (2014) and the second in Sudan (2016). With the growing success and to spread further the objectives of the campaign, the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control agreed to a partnership with the Arab Medical Association Against Cancer (AMAAC) which resulted in the signing of a cooperation contract between the two organizations to undertake future campaigns.

The mission to Mauritania was coordinated by the Mauritania Society Against Cancer and the Ministry of Health, Mauritania. We received a lot of support and participation in this campaign. We have 10 doctors on our team coming from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. Also with our team are media delegates who covered our activities to promote cancer awareness.  Among the many organizations who supported our mission include the Ministries of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Information (Kuwait), Cancer Aware Nation (CAN Campaign) Kuwait, Al Sidra Psychiatric Welfare Association, the International Islamic Charitable Organization, the Direct Aid Society, Zakat House, the Patient Benefit Fund, Al Sayer Group, Bahrain Cancer Society and the Friends of Cancer Patients in Sharjah.

Thank you, and we hope that our next mission will receive the same support and participation from our friends and patrons in the Gulf and the Arab region!