President Dr. Arif Alvi has urged the need for making collaborative efforts by the public and private sector to create awareness about breast cancer, especially during October, besides providing support to those affected by the disease. He said that media and other relevant stakeholders should join hands in the breast cancer awareness campaign and encourage women to engage in regular self-examinations and seek timely medical guidance for the early diagnosis of this life-threatening ailment. The President made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from Siemens Healthineers in Pakistan. CEO of Siemens, Mr. Khurram Jameel, and the First Lady Begum Samina Alvi attended the meeting virtually. During the meeting, the President highlighted the potential of digital technologies in addressing healthcare challenges, particularly in enhancing awareness, improving healthcare accessibility, and raising the quality of care while minimizing costs. He underscored the importance of early screenings, self-examinations, and improved medical services. Moreover, the President also underlined the pivotal role that private sector partners could play in raising awareness through media campaigns, standee displays in hospitals and public areas, distribution of pamphlets, and organizing educational workshops and seminars in women’s educational institutions. He also called for organizing breast cancer awareness events during October. The President also commended the role of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and telecom companies, who had initiated a call-caution tone from 1st October on the advice of Presidency urging women to conduct self-examinations and seek medical advice if they noticed any unusual growth. The President said that spreading the message of self-examination for early breast cancer detection should not be regarded as taboo.
He called upon media houses to broadcast/telecast messages regarding the significance of self-examination during their morning and talk shows, as well as in public service announcements to create awareness about the disease. He emphasized that increased awareness could lead to significant cost savings, given the expenses associated with treatment at the later stages of breast cancer.
The CEO of Siemens Healthineers pledged his company's support for the breast cancer campaign during the meeting. During the meeting, it was highlighted that Pakistan had one of the highest mortality rates due to breast cancer in Asia, with approximately 90,000 cases diagnosed annually. Early detection and proper treatment could potentially save numerous lives, as over 90% of the breast cancer cases could be successfully treated, if detected at an early stage.
