The platform contains information about breast cancer awareness and risk factors.

Cancer is known to be a life altering medical condition, which can most likely turn fatal if not treated in time, and the only way to tackle this grave illness, is its.early detection by watching out for symptoms or other risk factors. Breast cancer is currently the most common form of the disease globally, and is growing at an alarming rate among women in the Middle East, which is why a lack of awareness and the absence of a conversation about it in the region is a cause for concern.

The UAE has set an example for the world by efficiently using a combination of smartphone apps, medtech gadgets and telemedicine, to monitor and control infections in order to ward off the pandemic before most countries. Having emerged from the crisis with a stronger health-tech infrastructure, the Emirates has now turned the spotlight towards breast cancer, with an app that supports patients and raises awareness.

Aptly named as the Pink Shield, this platform is designed to protect women in the region by spreading knowledge about the life threatening condition, so that they can detect it early. Equipped with information about self examination and risk factors like a history of breast cancer in the family, the app makes way for timely treatment of the condition in the Emirates.

For reaching out to a larger number of people through online channels in the connected country, the Pink Shield app is available in Arabic as well as English. It further enhances resilience to the disease among the masses, by providing guidance on simple lifestyle changes like diet, that can prevent cancer in the longer run.

For those who are already affected by breast cancer and are undergoing treatment, the platform by Emirates Health Services provides support for survival. This is in line with the organisation's initiative to train medical staff on a regular basis, for battling cancer with awareness.

Before this digital innovation was introduced, startups in the Emirates had started using AI to spot signs of breast cancer just in time for an effective treatment.