President Dr. Arif Alvi emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about breast cancer to every household in the country to facilitate early detection and reduce mortality rates. Speaking at the Breast Cancer Awareness Programme, he drew parallels between Pakistan’s successful management of polio and COVID-19, asserting that the country was now effectively spearheading a breast cancer awareness campaign.
President Alvi stressed that in addition to breast cancer, awareness on other critical health issues such as mental health, stunting, and women’s health should also be promoted to ensure the well-being of women and, consequently, a healthy nation.
Underlining the significance of women within the family unit, the president urged their health, financial empowerment, and protection from harassment. He linked women’s economic empowerment to the overall economic growth of the nation.
Furthermore, President Alvi noted that 24% of Pakistan’s population suffered from mental health issues, which could be attributed to various factors, including diseases and financial challenges. He emphasized the need to control the population by increasing access to long-term contraceptive methods for both health and economic development, citing China’s example of focusing on health and education for rapid development.
President Alvi stressed the importance of prevention due to resource limitations, advocating for avoiding chronic diseases in later stages.
First Lady Begum Samina Alvi encouraged women to learn self-detection methods to ensure timely diagnosis. She emphasized regular self-checks, suggesting that women do this every month to reduce the death rate.
Expressing her pleasure at the increased awareness about breast cancer, the first lady hoped that the campaign would continue to expand its reach across the nation. She highlighted the staggering statistics, noting that 44,000 women die from breast cancer each year, deaths that could be prevented with early diagnosis. While the global early diagnosis rate was 98%, Pakistan mostly reported cases at advanced stages, increasing the risk of death. Nevertheless, the awareness campaign was making a positive impact by increasing the number of cases detected at earlier stages.
Begum Alvi raised concern about the high death rate among breast cancer patients in Pakistan, which stood at 48%, emphasizing the importance of openly discussing the disease and dispelling taboos and myths.
During the event, the caretaker Minister for Health, Dr. Nadeem Jan, stressed the need to increase the health budget in Pakistan from its current 1% of GDP to 4% of GDP.
Dr. Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative for Pakistan, lauded President Alvi and the first lady for their efforts in raising awareness about breast cancer in the country.