LAHORE: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) and Pink Ribbon Pakistan on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for breast cancer awareness among Pakistani women. UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Junaid Sarfraz Khan and Pink Ribbon Pakistan Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Omer Aftab signed the agreement. Under the agreement, the two organizations have become the strategic partners for creating widespread awareness about high danger of breast cancer in Pakistan, its impact on the life of the sufferer and the family and also spreading the good news that if detected early, it can be cured. Moreover, the University of Health Science will extend support in research and development on different aspects of breast cancer in Pakistan. The UHS and Pink Ribbon will also jointly organise professional education seminars and find common grounds to create awareness about breast cancer and break cultural taboos which prevent women from consulting doctors. Speaking on the occasion, the UHS vice chancellor said that recent trends had shown that breast cancer was increasing at an alarming rate. “Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer in Asia. I strongly believe that it is the right of every woman to know about fatal disease,” Prof Junaid said. He added this was a big social issue which needed immediate measures. “We will use all our considerable resources for success of this awareness campaign. Extra efforts will be made for conducting meaningful research in this area. We must understand that this is a problem, which is very close to our own homes and it needs a concerted and consistent approach to be dealt with,” the vice chancellor maintained. In his address, Pink Ribbon’s CEO Omer Aftab thanked the UHS for acknowledging significance of the issue and join hands with the organisation for spreading awareness about the diseases and extending academic and technical support in this regard. He said that Pink Ribbon had provided services worth more than Rs 70 million in last seven years only. “It is now setting up Pakistan’s first dedicated breast cancer hospital in Lahore.” He added, “Millions of rupees are donated for cancer treatment every year with minimal impact. If we inject that same funding to early diagnostic facilities and catch the disease at an early stage, this will significantly reduce the funds required for treatment of each patient and will tremendously improve effectiveness of donations.” UHS Physiology Department head Prof Dr Khalid Pervaiz Lone and Hematology Department head Prof Dr Shahida Mohsin were also present on the occasion. Published in Daily Times, June 22nd, 2017.