Battling breast cancer: Nationwide campaign to raise awareness

HEC, Pink Ribbon have raised awareness about the disease among 352,000 students

ISLAMABAD: More than 40,000 women die of breast cancer in Pakistan every year and there is a dire need to pay special attention to fight the disease.

This was stated by Pink Ribbon CEO Omer Aftab while speaking at a ceremony to launch a one-month nationwide breast cancer awareness drive that kicked-off at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) headquarters on Wednesday, informed a press release.

HEC Executive Director Mansoor Akbar Kundi said the three-year strategic partnership between HEC and the NGO has helped raise awareness about the disease among 352,000 students of girls colleges and universities.

October has been declared as the “breast cancer awareness month” under the campaign, which aims to cover over 100,000 girls to raise awareness about the disease.

October is generally marked as the international breast cancer awareness month worldwide.

Aftab said due to the intensive work of the Pink Ribbon over the years, the demand for breast cancer-related services has swelled.

“The Pink Ribbon is also launching a dedicated breast cancer hospital in the country and we need more support to build the hospital to ensure that none of us face the horror of losing a mother, a sister, a wife or a daughter due to this disease,” he said.

Kundi reiterated HEC’s support for the NGO, saying that awareness campaigns will be carried out in universities and colleges across the country in the month.

Natasha Hyder from Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan said they were delighted to be partnering with the NGO to fight the menace of breast cancer.

Mobilink Corporate Communications Head Omar Manzur said they believed that awareness was the first step towards a healthy society.

“Our support for the Pink Ribbon is reflective of our sustained commitment towards spreading awareness about the disease,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2014.