KARACHI: Pink Ribbon Pakistan – the sole NGO dealing with issues of breast cancer – recently concluded its third awareness drive in Pakistan.
The awareness drive started from October 10 at Karachi Dolmen Mall. The three-day activity was carried out in collaboration with Dolmen Cares.
As a part of the drive, the Dolmen Mall was illuminated pink for three consecutive days while the interior of the mall was decorated in pink. The drive is part of ‘PINKtober’ – a month-long awareness campaign about ‘breast cancer’.
The three-day awareness drive was aimed towards building country’s first-ever breast cancer hospital. The activity attracted a footfall of more than 50,000. Majority of them, especially women, took a keen interest in knowing more about the disease.
For the visitors, the pink ribbon team provided the awareness material including Breast Self-Examination flyer to help them detect the symptoms of the disease.
While sharing his views on the drive, Pink Ribbon Chief Executive Officer Omer Aftab said, “We have been conducting awareness activities about breast cancer since the last couple of years. We are pleased that as a result of our hard work, people feel more comfortable in discussing the disease unlike before. At Dolmen Mall, you can find families belonging to every tier of society. Especially this year, the response has been overwhelming.”
Discussing the future plans for his NGO, Aftab further said, “Pink Ribbon has proposed the establishment of five major breast cancer hospitals all across Pakistan. This is not just merely a proposal; with the support of philanthropists, we have already started construction on the first ever dedicated breast cancer hospital in Lahore.” He added that the NGO required more helping hands to spread the message to the maximum number of people across the country.
“In Pakistan, the mortality rate for Breast Cancer patients is almost 43.7 per cent. According to estimates, the disease causes almost 40,000 deaths, and 90,000 new cases get reported every year,” he added further.
