With an alarming estimate of 92,000 new breast cancer cases emerging in Pakistan every year, healthcare experts today demanded urgent establishment of mass-scale screening facilities and a national cancer registry to combat the devastating public health crisis.
The critical call to action was voiced by medical practitioners, researchers, and social activists at a breast cancer awareness seminar organized by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH). The event, held in connection with October’s international observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, aimed to highlight the growing threat of the most lethal cancer affecting women.
Speakers unanimously called for the creation of a national cancer registry to compile reliable and comprehensive data from both urban and rural areas. They lamented that women in remote regions remain largely unaccounted for in national health statistics due to their limited access to diagnostic and treatment services.
Health professionals warned that breast cancer carries a 50 percent mortality rate in Pakistan and emphasized that only timely screening and treatment can save lives. They pressed for public sector hospitals to be equipped with diagnostic and treatment units on an emergency basis to counter this challenge.
Dr. Sara Arif, Head of Surgery at Memon Medical Institute Hospital, suggested the actual number of new cases is likely higher, noting that the available figure of 90,000 to 92,000 is based on outdated data that excludes women from rural and underprivileged communities. She pointed out that only a handful of charitable hospitals offer cancer treatment at subsidized rates, which is far from sufficient.
Dr. Arif stressed that early detection not only ensures a higher survival rate but also reduces treatment costs, which remain unaffordable for most families due to the absence of comprehensive health insurance coverage. ‘Breast cancer is not confined to older women-young women in Pakistan are increasingly being diagnosed as well,’ she said.
Dr. Safaf Hafeez Chauhan, Head of the Psychology Department at Salim Habib University, highlighted the immense psychological toll of the disease, underscoring the necessity of emotional support and counselling to strengthen a patient”s willpower.
Renowned herbalist Dr. Bilquis Sheikh advised women to adopt healthier lifestyles by reducing their consumption of processed foods, engaging in regular physical activity, and relying on natural diets to enhance immunity against cancer.
Similarly, Ruth Zia, Principal of the Nursing College, and Shakeel Khan from the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, both stressed the importance of healthy living and strong family support in empowering women to fight the illness with resilience.
Senior journalist and breast cancer survivor Afia Salam said mass awareness campaigns are critical for public acceptance of preventive healthcare. She cited the failure of a recent HPV vaccination drive in Karachi as an example of how a lack of public sensitization can derail important health interventions.
NFEH Secretary-General Ruqiya Naeem shared her personal journey of defeating stage-two breast cancer eight years ago, crediting her family’s emotional support and her own determination for her recovery.
The organization’s president, Muhammad Naeem Qureshi, concluded by reaffirming NFEH”s commitment to expanding its awareness initiatives nationwide to protect vulnerable communities through education and early intervention.