ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP):First Lady Samina Arif Alvi Thursday urged media as well as the parliamentarians to play their due role for creating countrywide awareness on breast cancer particularly to promote self-examination and discourage the allied taboos.
Addressing the participants of an awareness walk held at Fatima Jinnah Park here, she said the establishment of a call center was on cards to help the females get medical advice from experts if they were initially reluctant to personally visit any doctor.
She also hinted at her plan to visit across all provinces to apprise the women of the threats posed by the disease particularly the high death ration in Pakistan just because of delayed diagnosis.
She said the survival rate of breast cancer patients in the world was around 98 percent and the women in Pakistan too could ensure their protection against the disease through monthly self-examination and by consulting the doctor in case they observed any lump in the breast.
She said the women could lead a normal life even after the surgery but strictly advised to do away with the taboos attached with the disease to avert complications.
The first lady said the annual month-long awareness drive in October had been a regular feature since last few years and thanked the doctors, nurses and the parliamentarians for joining the event to become part of a cause.
However, she underlined the role of lady health workers in this regard and said as they usually get close to the women, they should also carry an awareness message on the breast cancer.
She said it was essential to examine the young girls after they reach 20 years of age and advised mammography after the age of 30 to 35. She said though the mammography was a costly procedure, it was available in free of charge at some government-run health facilities like PIMS in Islamabad which the women must benefit from.
She also called for including the subject of breast cancer in the education curriculum to inculcate the message in the children’s mind form the beginning.
Later, the first lady joined the awareness walk participated by the parliamentarians, doctors, nurses and dozens of young ladies wearing pink ribbons and holding placards and banners inscribed with the awareness messages.
