"World Health": a leadership role for the UAE in confronting the disease
A study confirming the low incidence of cervical cancer within the country
Cervical cancer ranks sixth among female cancers.
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The World Health Organization said that the UAE plays a leading role in the Middle East in confronting cervical cancer, which kills a person every two minutes globally, and every hour in the region, stressing the need to transfer the UAE's experience to other countries to benefit from it.
The Ministry of Health and Community Protection stated that vaccination rates against the disease are constantly increasing, while a recent study monitored a decrease in the incidence of the disease in the country.
The World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health and Prevention called for vaccinations for females, starting from the age of nine.
They stressed the need for all women to undergo periodic and early examination to detect the papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer, and to prevent it before it worsens.
The regional advisor for women's health in the organization, Dr. Muhammad Afifi, confirmed that the UAE plays a major leadership role in confronting cervical cancer, and is one of the first countries to introduce vaccination against the disease in the region, and achieved very good prevalence rates, and called on health authorities to continue vaccination coverage during coming years.
Afifi stated, “The most prominent cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus, which is a type of virus that remains dormant in the body for long periods, so it is very dangerous if it is not treated early, as a woman infected with the virus can, without feeling any symptoms for years.” Many, until changes begin in the uterus before the stage of cancer.
He stated that «the World Health Organization, represented by the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, has developed a special strategy for the countries of the region, based on vaccination, as it prevents the viral infection that causes the disease, and reduces the death resulting from it,» explaining that «vaccination of age groups under 15 years is the basis for prevention. from contracting the disease.”
And he continued: «It is necessary to differentiate between two cases, the first is that she is a carrier of the virus in any age group, and the second stage is that she has cervical cancer, and in the first case the importance of scanning and periodic examination for women at the age of 35 years, and repeated at the age of 45 years.
And in the event that a woman has an immune disease, the examination must be conducted at an earlier age (30 years), to prevent the transition to the stage of cervical cancer.
Afifi said that the incidence of the disease in the world and the region is high, as statistics record one death every two minutes from the disease globally.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, there is a death every hour, stressing that this happens due to ignoring vaccination at an early age.
For his part, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection for Public Health, Dr. Hussein Al-Rand, confirmed that the country has achieved remarkable success in dealing with the disease, as the Emirate of Abu Dhabi began vaccinating against the disease since 2010, while vaccination included the rest of the Emirates starting in 2017, which limited Significantly from the rates of infection with the disease, and strengthened its confrontation.
He said that the UAE is one of the first countries in which the incidence of cervical cancer decreases, while new vaccinations contribute to the arrival of this rate to the lowest rates in the world.
Al-Rand indicated that the "Cancer Detection" program implemented by the Ministry succeeded in raising awareness of the importance of early examination.
The "Cervical Cancer Vaccination" program also contributed to ensuring the prevention of the disease in a large proportion.
Recent studies indicate that more than 95% of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papilloma virus, a name given to a group of more than 100 types of viruses, each of which is symbolized by a number.
For his part, Professor Hamid bin Harmal Al Shamsi, President of the Emirates Oncology Society, referred to a study published in 2021 that showed that the incidence of early cervical cancer was declining between 2015-2017, attributing this to the vaccination program against the papilloma virus, as the country The UAE is the first country to implement it in the Middle East.
"We need to encourage parents to vaccinate their daughters against cervical cancer between the ages of 15 and 26," said Professor Humaid Al Shamsi, advising women between the ages of 25 and 65 to undergo the test.
And by repeating it for women at risk of symptoms between the ages of 25 and 49 years, once every three years, and for those between the ages of 50 and 65 years, once every five years.
As for women who suffer from weakened immunity due to disease or medication, they must undergo an annual examination.
Sixth place
The President of the Emirates Oncology Society, Professor Humaid bin Harmal Al Shamsi, stated that cervical cancer ranks sixth among female cancers, especially in the age group between 35 and 39 years.
He stated that "continued infection with human papilloma virus is the main source of cervical cancer, which led to the development of preventive vaccines to control infection with this virus."
He stated that "the UAE is the first in the Middle East to provide a cervical vaccination," and that "the health authorities in the country are making tremendous efforts to combat all types of cancer, including cervical cancer, by taking preventive measures and periodic examinations, and encouraging the vaccination of young girls."
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