(Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2023) SHARJAH, 28th March, 2023 (WAM) – Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) has announced its five-year strategy for 2023-27, aimed at continuing its efforts to raise cancer awareness and provide moral and financial support to patients under the guidance and patronage of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Founder and Royal Patron of FOCP.
The strategy was launched during FOCP's first annual Board of Directors meeting in 2023, which was presided over by Sawsan Jafar, Chairperson of FOCP, and attended by Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Vice Chairperson of FOCP. The meeting reviewed the achievements of 2022 and outlined the organisational strategy and budget for the year. The five-year roadmap aims to strengthen partnerships in the cancer care and advocacy network globally. FOCP will focus on enhancing and expanding its specialised work in cancer advocacy and research, patient care, and collaborating on initiatives customised to the targeted demographic needs. FOCP's strategy will ensure the launch and sustainability of these initiatives by extending financial support and reinforcing charitable donation campaigns. The meeting also reviewed the key outcomes of 10 awareness events, including the Relay for Life cancer walkathon and the Pink Caravan Ride, which provided free breast health check-ups and screenings to 13,000 women and men across the seven emirates.
The board members assessed the impact of the entity's representatives' 15 visits to various hospitals as part of FOCP's 'Colour My World' and 'Joy Cart' initiatives, which offer financial and emotional support to young paediatric cancer patients and their families. One of the key highlights of the meeting was the presentation of a strategy report for the year 2022, which detailed the strengths, weaknesses, challenges, opportunities, and overall performance indicators of the different departments in FOCP.
FOCP also organised and participated in several international events, including the 5th Combined Gulf Cancer Conference, which hosted leading regional institutions advocating for cancer control, and the Arab Coalition Meeting to Combat Breast Cancer in July to renew cooperation and partnership mechanisms for joint activities with Arab countries. In addition, FOCP participated in 38 different international events, including the first conference on non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh, the Eighth Gulf Cancer Awareness Week on World Cancer Day, and the Global Summit on Good Governance. The civil society organisation also participated in awareness campaigns, workshops, virtual and in-person seminars to highlight its services and exchange expertise and best practices in cancer care.
Sawsan Jaafar, Chairperson of FOCP, said, “We continue to build on our 23-year-history of achievements of strengthening thousands of people’s access to cancer awareness and treatment. In 2022 alone, we have provided financial support to more than 250 cancer patients, including 200 females, 34 males, and 16 children."
She added, “We are confident in our ability to continue our noble mission, especially witnessing all the positive and tangible impact we’ve had in our fight against cancer through quality initiatives. Recently, FOCP hosted the 3rd edition of Sharjah Regional Cervical Cancer Forum, which was attended by more than 2,800 participants from the MENA region. Furthermore, the 3rd annual edition of the Ana-vation competition, which aims to engage school students with a scientific bent of mind to create smart applications for early detection, attracted 150 male and female students last year. All these efforts serve public interest, and we are committed to continue expanding our work to reach a wider segment of society, industry stakeholders, and the younger generation.”
