Health & education · Female cancers · UAE screening uptake
From Awareness to Action
The UAE has developed strong breast cancer screening and healthcare services — but recent UAE research found that 68% of women surveyed rarely or never had a mammogram. Awareness of early detection does not consistently turn into participation in screening. PinkRibbon United Arab Emirates exists to close that gap — connecting education with risk assessment, navigation, screening and follow-up, so awareness results in measurable action.
The evidence
The challenge is not awareness alone. It is turning awareness into action.
A recent UAE-wide study published in BMC Public Health examined 1,049 women aged 35 and over. Despite the availability of breast cancer services, most were not using them:
68%
Rarely or never had a mammogram
61%
Never had a breast cancer risk assessment
40%
Never received a screening recommendation from a doctor
53%
Of women 40+ never screened — though 98% believe screening works
A second study of 420 UAE women aged 40+ found that 53.3% had never undergone breast cancer screening — despite approximately 98% believing screening is beneficial for early detection. And a newer study of 811 respondents found only 36.5% had ever had any cancer screening test at all, even though knowledge of early detection was much higher.
These figures come from research samples, not a complete national screening registry — but they point the same way: the UAE challenge is not a lack of medical facilities. It is the connection between women, risk assessment, education, referral and the screening services that already exist.
What moves women to screen
- 47.0%Screen when a physician recommends it
- 45.3%Screen because they believe in early detection
What stands in the way
- 39.5%Fear of the results
- 38.6%Believe screening is unnecessary without symptoms
- 38.5%Do not know where screening is available
Almost four in ten women named not knowing where screening is available as a barrier — a problem education and navigation can directly solve.
Awareness programmes work
A UAE study conducted between May 2023 and October 2024 with 959 women found that only 31.7% had ever attended a breast cancer awareness programme — and that women who did attend were significantly more likely to use screening. Targeted awareness programmes support increased screening uptake. That is exactly the work this campaign funds.
The model
Awareness → Risk assessment → Navigation → Screening → Referral → Follow-up.
PinkRibbon United Arab Emirates does not replicate the hospitals and screening infrastructure the UAE already has. The Foundation works as a mobilisation and access platform — identifying women who are not engaging with screening and connecting them with existing public and private services, alongside government, healthcare providers, corporates and community partners.
- 01
Awareness
Plain-language, bilingual breast health education in communities, workplaces, schools and colleges.
- 02
Risk assessment
Every woman reached is offered an individual risk assessment — the step 61% of women surveyed had never taken.
- 03
Navigation
Clear guidance on where screening is available in her own Emirate — the barrier named by almost four in ten women.
- 04
Screening
A booked mammogram or clinical examination with an existing public or private provider.
- 05
Referral
Abnormal findings are followed into diagnosis and care, not left at the screening door.
- 06
Follow-up
Every woman is followed until her screening is complete — and counted, so results are measurable.
Measurable results
Every dirham, tied to a number.
The campaign reports against clear, published indicators:
- Women educated
- Individual risk assessments completed
- Women referred to screening
- Mammograms completed following referral
- Cervical screening / HPV services accessed
- Abnormal findings successfully referred
- Corporate employees reached
- Underserved women supported
- Conversion from awareness activity to completed screening
The case for support
Bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Breast cancer is the leading cancer affecting women in the UAE, yet recent UAE research found that 68% of women surveyed rarely or never underwent mammography, 61% had not undergone a breast cancer risk assessment, and 40% had not received a screening recommendation from a healthcare provider. PinkRibbon United Arab Emirates will help bridge this gap — working alongside government, healthcare providers, corporates and community partners to connect education with risk assessment, screening navigation, early detection and referral.
Your selection
$500 once
A navigation desk
85% funds the mission, 15% covers operations
Awareness saves lives only when it becomes action.
Help PinkRibbon United Arab Emirates turn what women already know into the screening they actually receive — in every Emirate.
Sources: UAE National Cancer Registry 2023; recent UAE studies published in BMC Public Health and peer-reviewed journals (2023–2025). Figures cited are from research samples, not a complete national screening registry.