Abu Dhabi Strengthens Cancer Prevention With Expanded Early Detection Campaign
The emirate's latest public health initiative addresses psychological barriers to screening whilst harnessing cutting-edge diagnostic technologies to detect disease at earlier, more treatable stages.
Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre has relaunched its “Check What Really Matters” campaign, a comprehensive initiative designed to transform cancer prevention and early detection across the emirate. Building on the remarkable 280 per cent increase in cancer screenings recorded in 2025 compared to the previous year, the 2026 campaign represents an evolution in how public health authorities engage communities with preventive care.
The campaign recognises a critical insight: awareness of screening’s importance does not automatically translate into action. Psychological barriers—including fear of diagnosis, perceived personal risk underestimation and misconceptions about screening procedures themselves—frequently deter individuals from pursuing early detection. “Check What Really Matters” directly addresses these obstacles by tailoring messages to resonate with everyday lived experience and correcting widespread misunderstandings.
A distinguishing feature of the campaign involves highlighting recovery narratives. By sharing stories of individuals who have successfully overcome cancer and returned to productive, ambitious lives, the initiative counters the fear surrounding diagnosis and builds confidence in contemporary treatment advances.
Dr Rashed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, emphasised the initiative’s psychological dimension: “A person may understand the importance of screening but still postpone it out of fear, a belief that they are not at risk, or inaccurate perceptions about the screening itself. Through this campaign, we are working to understand and address these barriers and establish preventive screening as a sustained health habit.”
The campaign showcases remarkable technological progress reshaping cancer management. Between 2024 and 2026, more than 5,000 individuals benefited from blood-based liquid biopsy testing for colorectal cancer detection. Most significantly, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre is implementing a multi-cancer early detection pilot programme involving over 3,000 Emirati participants aged 40 and above. This groundbreaking initiative employs a single blood sample to detect signals associated with more than 70 cancer types.
Dr Durra Al Balooshi, Advisor for Community Health Sector at the centre, noted: “We are witnessing rapid advances that are allowing us to reimagine how cancer is prevented, detected and treated. Our goal is to harness these advances across every stage of the health journey, enabling community members to prevent disease where possible, detect it early, and access the right care and treatment at the right time.”
The year-round campaign focuses on specific cancer types during designated awareness months: breast cancer in October, lung cancer in November, cervical cancer in January and colorectal cancer in March. October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities will address particular barriers to mammography screening and feature specialist physicians alongside survivors sharing their experiences. This aligns with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi’s recent accreditation of three Oncology Centres of Excellence specialising in breast cancer, reinforcing the emirate’s integrated approach to specialised care.
Source: WAM