Call for raising breast cancer awareness

First Lady Begum Samina Alvi Sunday said nearly 44,000 women die of breast cancer every year in Pakistan due to late diagnosis and stressed that thousands of women and their families could be saved if it was diagnosed at an earlier stage, with chances of survival up to 98 per cent.

However, she regretted that there was a lack of awareness about the early symptoms of this disease in Pakistan. As a result, the disease kept spreading silently and proved fatal.

The first lady was addressing the Pakistan Foreign Office Women’s Association’s (PFOWA) annual charity bazaar. The spouses of Islamabad-based diplomats organised stalls on the occasion depicting the culture, cuisine, and artefacts of their respective countries.

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Begum Alvi said they had started a comprehensive, inclusive, and nationwide breast cancer awareness campaign. “One of the major challenges before us was to convey our message to women living in far-flung areas of the country. Most of the cancer cases in Pakistan were reported in the third or fourth stages, which not only made the treatment painful and expensive but also reduced the chances of survival. Apart from this, mammography, ultrasound, and screening facilities are either lacking in our country or these facilities are very expensive,” she added.

Referring to autism, children with disabilities, and the importance of early detection of breast cancer issues, she said that these initiatives hold immense importance, as they have the potential to save many lives.

About progress on public awareness, Begum Alvi said they had reached out to millions of mobile users across the country with the help of ring-back tones and messages, and this year, over 140 million SMS on breast cancer had been sent to mobile users in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2023.