ISLAMABAD: Samina Arif Alvi on Thursday urged parliamentarians and the press to play their role in raising awareness of breast cancer, especially to promote self examination and discourage taboos.

Ms Alvi was addressing participants of an awarneness walk at Fatima Jinnah Park. She said a call centre will be established to help women get medical advice from experts if they are initially reluctantly to personally visit a doctor.

She also hinted at plans to visit all the provinces to raise awareness among this regard, and inform women of the threats posed by the disease, particularly the high death rate in Pakistan due to delayed diagnosis.

She said the survival rate of breast cancer patients in the world is around 98pc, and women in Pakistan could also ensure their protection with monthly self-examinations and by consulting doctors in case they observe a lump in the breast.

She said women can lead a normal life even after surgery, adding that taboos attached to the disease should be done away with to avert complications.

Ms Alvi said an annual month-long awareness drive has been held in October for the last few years.

She highlighted the role lady health workers can play, as they can speak to women and carry a message of awareness about breast cancer.

She said that young women should also be examined after they reach the age of 20 and advised mammography from 30 to 35 years of age. She said that although this is a costly procedure, it is available for free at some government-run health facilities such as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.

She said breast cancer should also be included in the educational curriculum so children are informed of it from the beginning.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2020