Royal horseback riders will encourage breast-cancer screenings in remote areas

Senior government officers and members of the royal family will join school and university volunteers, businessmen and women on horseback next month to spread the message about screening for breast cancer into remote villages and towns, organisers announced today. The group is part of the second annual Pink Caravan horseback convoy that will travel from April 5 through 14. The group will travel alongside a van equipped with mammography facilities so that experts can conduct on-the-spot examination and screening. The 266-kilometre route will reach coastal villages from Sharjah to Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, as well as small towns between Dhaid, Masafi, Fujairah and Khorfakkan. "The route has been altered this year to include a coastal path around the UAE to take our message further and spark curiosity in the heart of every city we pass through," said Cecile Guillemot, founding member and chairwoman of the Pink Caravan. "We are looking forward to increased public participation and interaction. We hope to reach the communities we covered last year and expand to more areas to bring screening facilities to these communities."