ISLAMABAD: First Lady Samina Alvi on Tuesday said sustained and continuous efforts towards raising awareness about breast cancer were yielding results, as women in the far-flung areas were becoming aware of the repercussions of the disease, since a rise in early-stage breast cancer detection was being reported in health care centres all over the country.

She was speaking during a panel discussion on breast cancer awareness under the banner of Raabta – a public diplomacy initiative.

Experts on the panel included Dr Ayesha Isani Majeed, head of the Radiology department and in-charge federal breast cancer screening centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Dr Abida K. Sattar, head of breast surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital; Shireen Gheba an author, blogger, painter and a cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2021 who is now cancer free and Aizaz Chaudary, the director of Institute of Strategic Studies and former foreign secretary of Pakistan, who is also a survivor.

With 2.3 million people diagnosed in 2020, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. Pakistan has the highest prevalence of breast cancer in Asia, with one out of six women expected to be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives.

Two Pakistani doctors get award during World Health Summit

The first lady appreciated efforts for organising awareness sessions for the public, though utilisation of the Raabta platform. Dr Ayesha Isani Majeed stressed that yearly mammograms for women over 40 and regular breast self-examinations should become a part of the self-care routine of women.

She said the screening centre at Pims was the first public sector facility in Islamabad which offered initial screening and detection, biopsy, ultrasound and mammography to patients under one ceiling, and was built to facilitate the growing demand of patients especially those unable to afford the costs of private hospitals.

Aizaz Chaudhary said there was a need to target men in awareness campaigns by distributing pamphlets and informational material. Sharing his personal experience, he said he faced a delay in diagnosis due to ignorance related to the prevalence of breast cancer in men.

Dr Abida K. Sattar from the Aga Khan University Hospital said the disease was often hereditary, adding that measures for early detection must be taken as this was the biggest weapon towards the eradication of the disease.

Shireen Gheba, who was diagnosed in May 2021 and has since completed her treatment and is now cancer free, said: “While avoiding the ‘C’ word for Covid-19 in our lives, I ended up with the cancer.”

Broadcast journalist Sidra Iqbal remarked that with 90,000 women being diagnosed with breast cancer every year and the high death rate from the disease, indicated a dire need to break the cultural and traditional barriers to disease prevention and cure.

Two Pakistani doctors honoured

The event titled ‘Leading Change: Heroines of Health’ provided a platform for women in the healthcare system to create a discussion around vulnerabilities in the health system and assisted them in highlighting their work for a better change.

At the gala, director general of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, spoke to guests.

Sehat Kahani’s chief executive officer Dr Sara Saeed and Dr Iffat Zafar were nominated along with 17 other doctors for the award.

Dr Sara and Dr Iffat were nominated by Grand Challenges Canada and given the title for their efforts to overcome the 40pc attrition among women doctors after marriage. They founded a telemedicine organisation called Sehat Kahani in Pakistan. With around 1.3 million online consultations already conducted, Sehat Kahani is a female organisation that aims to get 50,000 doctors onboard in the next five years.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2022