ISLAMABAD; President Dr Arif and Begum Samina Alvi on Monday while expressing serious concerns over high prevalence of breast cancer in Pakistan, said that the media and the society could help overcome the disease by promoting self-diagnosis and removing the allied taboos.
Addressing the launching ceremony of awareness campaign on breast cancer, the president said being a developing country, Pakistan could not afford the treatment of diseases, so it was inevitable to put in all required efforts on prevention.
He said in order to do away with the taboos linked with the disease like breast cancer, it was essential to hold discussions on the subject in seminars as well as through frequent messaging on mobile phones, television and social media.
He told the gathering comprising of the ministers, diplomats, health practitioners, and hundreds of women from different walks of life, that the four-year long efforts by the first lady and other partners was making an impact as the number of women approaching the doctors at an early stage of breast cancer was increasing which would ultimately reduce the mortality ratio.
President Alvi repeatedly advised the women to hold their self-examination and consult the doctor if they feel any lump in or around the breast.
He said that early diagnosis of breast cancer and proper treatment could help increase the chances of survival among women, adding that chances of cure at early stages were as high as 98%.
He said that lessons from the effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the anti-polio campaign needed to be replicated to overcome other diseases.
He said the country could utilize the available workforce in form of the lady health workers for prevention of different diseases including breast cancer as they played due role in the fight against polio as well as the COVID-19.
The president urged mainstream as well as social media to specify sometime for public messaging on breast cancer in their talk shows, dramas and other programs, besides highlighting the role of breast cancer survivors to guide the people on prevention.
First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi, in her address, highlighted that her four-year sustained and continuous efforts were yielding results and women in the far-flung areas of the country were also becoming aware of the deadliness of breast cancer and the number of early-stage breast cancer cases had almost doubled in different hospitals of the country.
She regretted that almost 100,000 cases of breast cancer were reported in Pakistan and almost 50% of women died every year due to a lack of awareness about its symptoms. She called upon the hospitals to hold free screening camps to detect breast cancer in women at the earliest stages for reducing the high mortality rate in Pakistan.
