Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children organize an awareness workshop

8 October, 2017

On the occasion of the Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in collaboration with Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children, Sorbonne Abu Dhabi organized a breast cancer awareness workshop to highlight the different aspects of this disease and promote healthy lifestyles. The event took place on the university’s campus in Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. The university’s academic and administrative employees participated in this event along with the students and their parents. Specialized physicians in the field of women’s health and nutrition from Danat Al Emarat Hospital presented the workshop. In addition, basic health screenings including Body Mass Index, blood sugar levels and blood pressure were provided for participants.

This workshop comes in line with the university’s commitment to support the local community and women in particular especially when it comes to shedding the light on important health issues. This workshop aims to increase awareness about breast cancer’s risks, early detection, symptoms and treatments as well as the importance of screenings.

Vino Nallaya, CEO of Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children, said: “The earlier we educate young women, the healthier the communities become. In line with that, we truly value our partnership with Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and the efforts set towards educating their students and staff on health-related topics. The earlier a tumor is detected and treated, the better the outcomes. International studies confirm that early diagnosis of breast cancer lead to higher survival rates of above 90%, whereas the survival rates of late diagnosis—stages 2 and 3—ranged between 60% and 70%. Through such collaborative events and as part of our commitment to a healthier society, we aim to improve women’s overall health, and keep the community informed, encouraged and empowered to take action in adapting a healthy lifestyle from childhood and detect diseases in early stages. Thus, the hospital’s Women Diagnostics & Breast Imaging Center initiates many educational activities in the community throughout the year and doubles the efforts during the month of October.”

From his side, Dr. Nicolas Denour, Head of Radiology & Breast Imaging at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children said: “Our teams collaborate with many organizations, universities and stakeholders in Abu Dhabi on educational activities. We also aim to educate young women such as students from Sorbonne Abu Dhabi especially women who have a family history of breast cancer. It is worth mentioning that the hospital is also accredited by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi as a center for breast cancer screening”.

For her part, Dr. Fatima Al Shamsi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for administrative affairs at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said: “Hosting the awareness workshop on the breast cancer disease, reflects our commitment to support our students on different levels. This event is an opportunity for all participants, students, teachers and employees to learn more about the causes and risks of this disease, as well as the different healthy routines they can adopt to improve their lifestyle”.

Dr. Al Shamsi added: “Being an Emirati university and part of the local community, we are happy to partner with Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children for the second consecutive year and play an active role in spreading healthy habits to all members of the community. Hence, we remain committed to embracing our students and providing them with all the needed tools and knowledge for a healthy and promising future”.