Saturday 07 / September / 2024
Muscat: After 16 years at the helm, Oman Cancer Association (OCA) founder and president has announced that she is stepping down from the post.
The announcement was made at a press reception organised under the auspices of Her Highness Sayyida Dr. Muna bint Fahd Al Said at the Grand Hyatt Muscat.
Yuthar Al Rawahy, founder and president of the Oman Cancer Association (OCA), also said that she will not stand for re-election. The next OCA General Elections will be held at the Bahja Hall in Qurum on March 30.
The golden journey for formulating OCA started in 2002, where small group discussions were held on how to responsibly get people to talk about the risks of cancer, educate and empower patients and their families on their options upon diagnosis.
The small group decided to formally organise and get the support of the relevant government agencies. A task force called the ‘Oman Cancer Group’ was formed to register the association.
After two years of meetings with the relevant government agencies especially the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health, and determining how to get this pioneering initiative off the ground, Yuthar Al Rawahy and her small group of founding members established and registered the National Association of Cancer Awareness (NACA) at the Ministry of Social Development – it was inaugurated by Ministerial Decree No. 72 in 2004.
The objective was to spread the message of the importance of regular examination and early detection in fighting this disease and to advocate that a cancer diagnosis does not mean a death sentence.
In October 2004 NACA organised the first of what would become an annual event – the Walkathon which witnessed a gathering of 270 participants. The last Walkathon that took place on October 2015 under the theme ‘Don’t wait till it is too late’ was attended by over 7,300 participants; a testimony of the growth and reach the Association’s message has affected in the community.
On the 10th Anniversary of the group’s establishment in 2012, the association was rebranded and the new name was unveiled as the Oman Cancer Association (OCA) and officially registered by Ministerial Decree No. 347 on December 3 2012.
Al Rawahy is a four time cancer survivor herself and was first diagnosed in 1998. Given there was limited oncology care in Oman, Al Rawahy was sent abroad for treatment. After recovery she returned to Oman and began work on establishing a network of fellow cancer survivors and those who had experience with a cancer diagnosis in their families.
The association has been recognised locally, regionally and internationally for the tremendous contributions it has made to society. Starting a Children’s Room at Royal Hospital, launching the Mobile Mammography Unit (MMU) and establishing of Satellite Branches across the Sultanate are some of the achievements of OCA. It has also been awarded with the United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA) and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award for Voluntary Work among other accolades.
The Oman Cancer Association (OCA) has a president, a vice-president, a secretary general and a board of directors. All posts are voluntary and officials and board members are elected according to the Ministry of Social Development’s rules and regulations. They all serve a term of 4 years.
On March 30 the OCA will hold its general assembly meeting followed by the election to appoint the new board members. The elections will take place at 8:00pm and will be witnessed by the relevant officials from the Ministry of Social Development.
