DUBAI, UAE - In support of the October 2008 International Breast Cancer Awareness Month Proctor & Gamble (P&G); will this year seek to encourage the UAE's shoppers to 'put a little hope in their shopping basket'.
The one-month long campaign will be actively looking to boost awareness and knowledge of the importance of early detection as the best method in successfully treating breast cancer, by directly taking the message out to shoppers throughout the UAE.
As part of the campaign, shoppers are invited to buy someone 'a chance', 'a smile' or 'some hope', by purchasing any Olay, Crest, Oral B, Head & Shoulders, Pert Plus, Pantene, Herbal Essences, Tide, Ariel, Pampers, Always, Wella, Braun or Gillette product. A percentage of the sales will be donated directly to the 'Brest Friends' organization, which was founded by Dr. Houriya Kazim, Specialist Breast Surgeon/Medical Director Well Woman Clinic and Founder of Brest Friends, to deliver care and support to the UAE's breast cancer patients, survivors and their families.
'Around the globe, there has been a sharp increase in the cases of breast cancer, and the figure is predicted to rise from the 10 million new cases globally in 2000, to 15 million by 2020,' commented Wael Al Jamil, P&G Arabian Peninsula.
'Because our brands reach so many consumers around the world and throughout the UAE everyday - especially women who tend to be in charge of the household shopping - we believe that we have a very important role to play in creating awareness about breast cancer and encouraging women to act against it.'
'The idea of asking shoppers to support the fight against breast cancer by putting a little 'hope' or 'courage' in their shopping baskets by choosing P&G products, is a very simple and effective way to not only drive the message about breast cancer awareness home, but to directly support those women in the UAE that are currently affected by breast cancer, and those that may be affected in the future,' Al Jamil added.
The nationwide awareness-raising and fundraising campaign will also seek to change mindsets and break down the social stereotype associated with breast cancer as something to be ashamed of. Dr. Houriya Kazim explained; 'Arab women are very afraid when it comes to lumps in the breast, which tells me that they don't really understand the disease and its treatment. Nine out of then lumps are not cancerous, and if a breast cancer is found and treated in the early stages, it can be a curable disease. That's why awareness-raising campaigns that speak to women directly are so important - it makes it clear that breast cancer is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of.'
The awareness campaign aims to reach the lives of as many women as possible in the UAE by being a visible force in the places where women do their shopping. Educational displays and brochures about breast cancer will also be displayed in many of the UAE's supermarkets, to encourage women to take notice and be pro-active against breast cancer.
The participating outlets in the campaign include Carrefour, Lulu, Geant, Panda and Abu Dhabi Coop stores across the UAE.
P&G innovates to improve lives every day, now and for generations to come, and this year is making pink the colour of its support in the fight against breast cancer and inviting women to join forces.
P&G is well known for its social contributions and commitments in the fields of health and education around the world, with the 'Help Defeat Breast Cancer' campaign an example of P&G's commitment to women in the UAE.
In terms of heath education the company has developed numerous programs in cooperation with the Ministries of Health around the Gulf region in the past, which utilize P&G's expertise in reaching the mass public through multi-media and the sheer reach of their brands, to deliver key messages needed for improving public health.
