Oman's Ministry of Health, representing the National Center for Women's and Children's Health, launched the national awareness campaign for the early detection of breast cancer titled 'Be Sure of Yourself' on Sunday. This initiative coincides with the global breast cancer awareness month, known as Pink October, and will continue for one year in various provinces of Oman.
Objectives of the National Awareness Campaign
The campaign is designed to create sustainable awareness in the health sector, correct misconceptions about breast cancer, and increase women's knowledge about symptoms and changes that require medical evaluation. Additionally, the campaign encourages women to take action for early detection and strengthens the role of family and community in supporting women's health.
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Throughout the year, various awareness and educational programs, initiatives, and events will be implemented as part of this campaign, in collaboration with different sectors. These actions will help transform awareness into sustainable health behaviors and strengthen the culture of early detection under the slogan 'Be Sure of Yourself and Book Your Appointment for Your Health.'
Program Details and Key Speakers
Dr. Faiza Abdulhussein Al-Fadhil, Director of the Women's Health Department at the National Center for Women's and Children's Health, presented a talk titled 'A Look at the Development Stages of the Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer in Oman.' This program included a review of the development stages of the early detection program for breast cancer, human discussions about recovery experiences, and messages of hope, as well as the official launch of the campaign. Details of the campaign, objectives, themes, target groups, and its execution mechanisms were also discussed throughout the year.
Dr. Badriya Al-Qasabi, Head of the Early Detection of Women's Health-Related Diseases Department, provided comprehensive information about the national awareness campaign for the early detection of breast cancer. Meanwhile, Mona Al-Shuqaili, Health Education Technician at the National Center for Women's and Children's Health, spoke about the awareness materials of this campaign. Dr. Nabeela Al-Wahibi, Senior Consultant in Family and Community Medicine, provided an overview of the assessment form for the national campaign events.
Discussions also addressed the experience of breast cancer from a medical perspective, and the voice of a woman who has undergone this experience and now has a message of hope for other women was heard in a conversation titled 'When Hope Prevails.' Hafiza Al-Amiri participated in this discussion.
Royal Attention and Future Plans
This campaign is part of national efforts to promote women's health, strengthen the culture of prevention and early detection, increase community awareness about breast health, and encourage women to utilize early detection services according to age groups and approved standards in the national program. This campaign is also aligned with national guidelines for developing early detection services for breast cancer and follows the goals of 'Oman Vision 2040' and the Fifth Development Plan (2026–2030).
Women's health has received royal attention from Sultan Haitham bin Tariq. To visualize this attention, the Council of Ministers issued a directive in January 2025 to launch a national program for the early screening of the most common cancers among women. This program includes the establishment of seven early detection units in various provinces of Oman, which is a strategic step towards the national commitment to strengthening early detection services, expanding access to them, and providing them comprehensively and sustainably.
It is worth noting that breast cancer is considered one of the prominent health challenges in women's health. However, early detection can make a significant difference in the disease course; the earlier changes are identified, the better the chances for treatment and health outcomes, and the greater the opportunity for access to more effective care at the right time.
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