LAHORE:First Lady Begum Samina Alvi said on Thursday that it was important to raise awareness to reduce deaths, caused by breast cancer in the country.
Addressing an event, held in connection with breast cancer awareness at Sapphire Retail Limited here, she said that 50 per cent of our population comprises of women, adding that “we should not only provide jobs to them but also take care of their health”.
She said that ensuring women’s health was vital for prosperity of a family and development of Pakistan. She said that it was important for a woman to know about breast cancer, as she would not be able to carry out her tasks if she was suffering from a disease.
She said besides taking preventive measures, timely diagnosis of breast cancer was essential. She said that if breast cancer was diagnosed at the first stage, the rate of recovery was almost 98 per cent, and the treatment was less expensive. She said that women usually hide the disease from the immediate family members due to the shame and stigma, which not only causes social issues but a number of such women lose their lives.
She said that usually the disease was also ignored due to financial impact, but it was important to remember that the cancer treatment was costly, if it started late.
The First Lady questioned how women could work and take care of their families if their health was not good. She urged women to spare five minutes every month for their health and carry out self-examination. She said in case of finding any abnormal growth, women should immediately consult a doctor and talk to their close family members and inform them about the problem.
Samina Alvi also called for steps to take care of the persons with disabilities besides improving people’s mental health. She asked the business community to engage the differently-abled persons in the workforce and provide jobs to them. She appreciated the role of the Sapphire group for providing jobs to women in their factory, besides taking care of their health.
Dr Saima Toqueer also addressed the event and briefed the women participants on methods for self-examination and available treatment.