Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar commended the efforts of Zahra Breast Cancer Association for raising awareness among Saudi women on the importance of early detection and screening of breast cancer.

Addressing the participants of the campaign’s award ceremony, Princess Haifa bint Faisal, chairwoman of the association, said, “Women are a vital part of society. We targeted 20 cities within the Kingdom to reach the largest possible number of women with the help of government and private sectors in a united effort to fight cancer and support those affected by breast cancer.”

Zahra Breast Cancer Association honored the sponsors who supported the campaign entitled “Life Awaits You,” which was organized to mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

Prince Khalid bin Bandar also recognized the sponsors who participated in the campaign and managers in the areas of health affairs.

Reema H. Abdullatif, director of marketing and media group NAPCO, said, “We are happy to be part of the breast cancer campaign, which is successfully spreading awareness on early detection of the disease.”

She said: “The younger generation can explore ways and prospects to promote prevention and the danger of this disease. We are dedicated to take our social commitment seriously to fight for early detection of breast cancer in this region.”

Eiman H. Bin Yameen, health education specialist and a co-founder of the association, speaking to Arab News said: “Our aim is to educate women to fight obesity and unhealthy lifestyles through regular exercise, healthy eating, and reducing stress as well as quitting cigarettes.”

“24.2 percent of women suffer from breast cancer in the Kingdom because they sought treatment at a late stage,” she explained.

“We can perceive the awareness among women through the Zahra campaigns around the Kingdom. Early detection is very important in breast cancer patients because the success rate is 95 percent in early stages,” she added.

The association aims to engender hope among women with breast cancer and reach the greatest number of breast cancer patients to serve them.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women.

Saudi Arabia registered 13.5 percent cancer cases, with breast cancer ranking the highest in the Easter Province.

More than 8,000 women are diagnosed with cancer each year in Saudi Arabia.