ISLAMABAD – Around 110 women die every day and 40,000 every year due toBreast Cancer in Pakistan which is an alarming and emergency situation anddemands us to act quickly and effectively to counter the menace.
This was revealed by Pink Ribbon, a no-profit organization working forBreast Cancer awareness and healthcare services, in their World Cancer Daypress note issued here.Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pink Ribbon Omer Aftab told, “Pakistan hasthe highest prevalence of Breast Cancer in the entire Asian region. Every9th woman is at high risk of Breast Cancer and a total of 10.2 millionwomen are at stake.Cancer causes about 9.5 million deaths worldwide every year. About 26,000people lose the battle per day.February 4 is commemorated as World Cancer Day and various events likefestivals, walks, seminars and public information campaigns are held toraise awareness and educate people on how to fight cancer through screeningand early detection, through healthy eating and physical activity, byquitting smoking, and by urging public officials to make cancer issues apriority.According to healthcare professionals, Breast Cancer is the most commoncancer among Pakistani women as 90,000 new cases are reported every year.Pakistan’s health sector does not contain enough facilities to provideservice to all cancer patients.As per official stats, our total spending in health sector is 0.57% of GDP,lower than all other Asian countries which have an average of 4.7%. We haveonly one doctor for 1,254 people, one nurse for 2,671, one midwife for6,235 and one lady health visitor for 18,318.Pink Ribbon is building Pakistan’s first dedicated Breast Cancer hospitalwhich , after completion by the end of 2019, is likely to attend up to40,000 patients annually.
