In an interactive session with journalist and media on breast cancer awareness, President Dr Alvi said every year more than 100,000 females are diagnosed with breast cancer in Pakistan, and 35,000 of them could not survive because of late detection of the disease.
He further said diagnosis of disease in stage 1 has higher rates of survival in comparison to stage 3 and 4 of breast cancer.
Dr Alvi along with his wife Samina Alvi emphasized on breaking social taboos about breast cancer and the significance of media’s role in raising public awareness in general public.
Government lacks sufficient resources to fund exorbitant cost required for medical treatment which includes scanning and other oncology procedures for breast cancer. President Alvi therefore emphasized a preventive approach instead of curative.
He urged to educate women for conducting monthly self-examinations to locate any abnormality and to seek medical help without hesitation.
President Alvi recalled that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority sent 120 million call-waiting messages about breast cancer last year on his suggestion.
He advised the media persons to work for the cause of combatting breast cancer by making it a point of discussion in their programs and write-ups.
He also mentioned that he along with his wife Samina Alvi has been consistently working towards raising awareness on breast cancer for last five year from the platform of the Presidency.
Begum Samina Alvi praised media for focusing on the issue and highlighting it in TV show and newspaper. She said that the campaign for breast cancer awareness should not be confined to October but should run continuously over the year.
She urged that male members of the family should be sensitized so they are able to understand the suffering associated with the disease and to help women get proper medical treatment.
The session also highlighted the importance of awareness of mental health and other health issues.
