FIND hails the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the new 10KSA “Together for Health” cancer prevention campaign

FIND today congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on the launch of its 10KSA “Together for Health” campaign and highlighted the exceptional leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud and His Excellency Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, Minister of Health, in advancing cancer prevention, early screening, and community awareness across the Kingdom.

A national movement led by Princess Reema, the 10KSA promotes routine screenings for breast, colorectal and other cancers, which aims to transform early detection into a normal part of life and not a late intervention which makes treatment more difficult and expensive. Targeting broad public engagement, 10KSA encourages people to take simple,proactive steps today that will save lives in the future.

The campaign is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious health transformation strategy, which placesprevention, diagnostics, and primary health care at the centre of a modern, resilient health system. FIND and the Ministry of Health are working together to advance diagnostics access, strengthen surveillance capabilities, and build models that can be adapted and scaled nationally and globally.

FIND commended the initiative’s commitment to the health of women and girls, and the role of diagnostics in early detection and treatment. Historically, diagnostic screening, surveillance, and access to early testing for cancers disproportionately affecting women have been under prioritised globally.

“10KSA is a transformative health movement, which positions the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the cutting edge of global health innovation and leadership,” said Dr. Ayoade Alakija, Board Chair of FIND. “For too long, diagnostic screening and surveillance for women and girls has been overlooked, not through lack of solutions, but lack of prioritisation. By placing early detection at the heart of national health efforts, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud and His Excellency Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajelare delivering a ground-breaking, life-saving model for the world. FIND is honoured to partner with the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia to show that prevention is power, and diagnosticinnovation and access are the key to unlocking it.”

Through its partnership with the Ministry of Health, FIND is supporting efforts to strengthen health security through better access to screening tools, improved data systems, and national surveillance capacity, including for cancer, AMR, and other priority conditions.

The innovative campaign builds on growing collaboration between FIND and the Ministry of Health, including joint work on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In November 2024, FIND partnered with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance with a day focused on diagnostics. Together we united leaders from government, technical agencies and industry around pathways to advance innovation and access to innovative diagnostics that can help combat drug-resistant infections. The meeting underscored the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to prevention through strong diagnostic efforts across cancer, AMR, and broader public health priorities.

“The new campaign demonstrates the power of diagnostics as the first line of defence,” said Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, CEO of FIND. “Early screening drives survival rates above 90% for many cancers. When prevention becomes a habit, and testing is normal, whole populations are protected. FIND will continue to deepen our collaboration to advance cancer screening, innovation, and health systems excellence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to make sure the lessons are scaled up globally.”

The campaign calls on communities across the Kingdom and around the world to form the lavender ribbon, which is the international symbol that represents all cancers, and to encourage family, friends, and colleagues to take part in routine screening.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to prevention through diagnostics and early detection demonstrates a critical formular for change. National leadership, community mobilisation and women-led advocacy are key ingredients toaccelerating progress against cancer and other diseases.

FIND will support the Ministry of Health and key partners across the Kingdom to expand access to diagnostic solutions, which drive earlier detection and early treatment, while also strengthening primary health care and ultimately reducing the burden of disease on families and communities.