SULTAN QABOOS AWARD FOR VOLUNTEERISM
The Sultan Qaboos Award for Volunteerism is one of a kind. It is the only award in the Sultanate that honors volunteering works. The Sultan Qaboos Award is a rather prominent and an important award as it was primarily made to promote and encourage volunteering of all forms, especially in a time where volunteers are much needed for their cooperation and support. The award is dedicated to all sections of the society and also its various institutions. The award is given under the guidance of the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD).
It is a form of appreciation to honor all those who have committed themselves to do voluntary works, initiate ideas and projects without expecting any form of return from them.
The award also encourages everyone to do more voluntary work and also to support in various other sectors. This also makes the Sultanate of Oman a model for other countries to follow especially when it comes to the establishment and supporting of voluntary organizations.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s vision focuses on promoting volunteerism and strengthening the reach to the young audience. Volunteering in Oman includes diverse categories and innovative activities to reach the Omani society. This in turn also allows Oman to be recognized as a national heritage in the field of voluntary work. And to initiate a high-level, development-oriented dimension that would lead to both a sustainable and also a renewed form of developmental work.
Milestones Achieved
Since it’s inception in 2009, OCA’s Mobile Mammography Unit (MMU) has offered free screening to over 21,519 women, both in and around Oman. Cases that came out positive received immediate treatment and advocacy in terms of reducing the waiting list in Hospitals.
Outpatient Breast Cancer Clinics have shown a decline in grade 2, 3 and 4, and an incline of about 36% of patients in grade 1. That was also confirmed by a histopathology study that showed a steady decline in the late breast cancer stages and more in grade 1 cancers.
Since its establishment in 2011, Dar Al Hanan has been a host to over 400 children and their families. During their treatment against cancer, Dar Al Hanan has been providing them with a safe “Home away from Home” environment with the intention to help them focus on what’s important: their children’s health.
Furthermore, to date 360 nurses and 42 physicians have attended a Palliative Care Course, and have benefited from the training which is truly based on a holistic approach to cancer management and control.
The Pink Ribbon Awareness Campaign and the Walkathon have become a flagship annual event in Muscat to help increase public awareness on cancer control and prevention. Since OCA’s very first Walkathon in 2003, where 270 people gathered, OCA since then was able to summon more than 8500 people in 2018. Community acceptance of Cancer is greater now as compared to the previous years.
In 2015 OCA was endorsed to be the only Center of Excellence for the International Cancer Prevention Consortium (ICPC) outside the United States to Support Regional and global training in cancer prevention and control.
The government, as an advisor for Cancer Programs and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NDC) has appointed OCA.
OCA was awarded the 2020 World Cancer Congress and the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit which is will be held in Oman.
OCA was registered as an umbrella Association in order to be able to give support to other NGO’s that work on areas related to Cancer; Anti-tobacco for example.