KARACHI, In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Community Health Directorate of the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) has conducted a series of awareness sessions at its Primary Care sites across Pakistan, emphasizing the significance of early detection and addressing the societal stigmas associated with the disease.
According to Indus Hospital and Health Network, the sessions led by the Midwifery team aimed to educate about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of prevention. Pakistan, having the highest rate of breast cancer in Asia, sees one in nine women facing the disease at some point in their lives. The sessions underscored the vital role of self-breast exams, timely screenings, and mammograms in combating the disease, which claimed 685,000 lives globally in 2020 out of 2.3 million diagnosed cases.
The Midwifery Supervisor at Al Mushtaq Memorial Clinic Gurmani highlighted the urgent need to overcome the cultural stigma surrounding breast health. “We need to normalize talking about breast diseases so that no one faces breast cancer alone,” they asserted, pointing to the social barriers that often prevent women from seeking necessary prevention and treatment.
Complementing the awareness efforts, IHHN also organized a specialized midwifery training at the Bhong School of Midwifery. This training provided midwives with comprehensive guidance on labour care and breast cancer management, focusing on prevention, treatment options, and patient counseling to ensure that women do not face breast cancer in isolation.
The initiative by IHHN represents a critical step towards enhancing breast cancer literacy and support for women in Pakistan, targeting both medical professionals and the community at large.