Beyond Awareness: Pakistan’s Urgent Fight Against Breast Cancer
October 6, 2025
Every October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings a wave of pink ribbons, charity events, and campaigns urging women to get screened. Yet despite this annual spotlight, breast cancer continues to be one of Pakistan’s most serious and growing health crises.
According to GLOBOCAN 2020, more than 25,000 new breast cancer cases are reported annually in Pakistan. Advocacy groups estimate the true figure could be as high as 90,000 new cases each year, resulting in around 40,000 deaths. Experts warn the number of cases is rising by more than 5% annually, placing Pakistan among the countries with the highest breast cancer incidence rates in Asia, where one in nine women faces the risk in her lifetime.
The Awareness Gap
Despite widespread awareness drives, experts say the real challenge lies not in knowing about breast cancer but in acting on that knowledge. Research shows that only one in three Pakistani women has meaningful awareness of the disease, and even fewer regularly perform self-examinations or go for mammograms.
In rural areas, stigma, myths, lack of access to female doctors, and cultural barriers often delay diagnosis. As a result, over 70% of breast cancer cases are discovered only when the disease has reached Stage III or IV, where treatment is more complex, expensive, and survival rates drop significantly.
By contrast, early detection offers more than an 80% five-year survival rate, compared to less than 20% when detected at advanced stages.
From Awareness to Action
It’s time for Pakistan to treat breast cancer as a national health emergency, not just an annual awareness theme. The solution lies in nationwide, subsidised screening programmes, and campaigns in Urdu and regional languages that reach beyond urban centres into rural and underserved communities.
Equally important is investing in female healthcare workers who can provide guidance, build trust, and overcome cultural resistance to medical screening.
Employers must also play a vital role by introducing workplace breast cancer screenings, paid medical leave, and support programmes for women undergoing treatment.
Turning Awareness Into Impact
While pink ribbons are a powerful symbol of solidarity, they are not enough to stop this growing epidemic. Real progress will come only when awareness leads to action — backed by structural, financial, and social change.
Breast cancer can be beaten, but it requires collective will — from policymakers, healthcare institutions, employers, and families alike — to ensure every woman in Pakistan has the chance for early detection, timely treatment, and a healthy future.
