The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) is organising a month-long public awareness campaign to help combat breast cancer across Abu Dhabi, an initiative that comes in line with the month of October, known as the global breast cancer awareness month.

Breast cancer has been identified as the single most common cancer in the UAE among Emiratis and expatriate women, according to Haad's breast cancer awareness team. It accounts for 28 per cent of all female deaths in the UAE.

With efforts to help raise awareness on women's health through various programmes and awareness activities in the past three years, the Haad has reported an evident reduction in the number of cases presenting late stages of breast cancer, from 64 per cent in 2009 to 36 per cent in 2010.