Today we observe the International Day Against Breast Cancer to raise awareness about breast cancer and promote women´s access to timely diagnosis and treatment. Breast Cancer is the most common type of cancer among women throughout the world. Most of the deaths due to breast cancer occur in low and middle-income countries. In Pakistan too, almost 100,000 breast cancer cases occur annually, out of which 40,000 women die. Pakistan also has one of the highest mortality rates due to breast cancer in Asia. This is indeed an alarming situation. Since Pakistan has limited breast cancer screening and treatment facilities, we can address this grave issue by ensuring its timely detection in women and providing treatment in early stages. There is a 98% possibility of a permanent cure from breast cancer, if diagnosed at early stages. To overcome this challenge, we have been raising awareness for the past five years to encourage women to perform self-examination every month. I am glad that media has played an instrumental role in educating women about the disease. It is encouraging to note that our awareness campaigns led to an increase in the reporting of early-stage breast cancer cases. I would like to urge the print, electronic and social media to become our partner in this campaign and educate people about breast cancer to save thousands of precious lives. I am sure that with our collective efforts, we would be able to reduce the mortality rate due to breast cancer in Pakistan.
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