AKUH Pink Walk initiative for breast cancer

KARACHI: The Aga Khan University Hospital continued its annual ‘Pink Walk’ tradition to raise breast cancer awareness. The walk was organized at the AKUH’s Stadium Road Campus and was attended by hundreds of people, including AKU staff, students, faculty, members of the general public and the media.

The walk is part of a month-long AKUH campaign titled “Let’s Defeat Breast Cancer Together”, which aims to encourage early screening, diagnosis and treatment for the disease. It is estimated that one in every eight women is at a high risk of breast cancer. Research shows that the disease responds very well to treatment when caught and treated early. Awareness campaigns such as these focus on the issue so that more and more human lives can be saved.

After a spirited walk led by a talented group of children playing in a flute band, Dr Shahid Shafi, CEO of AKUH, P, spoke about the importance of holding such events to raise awareness about breast cancer. He said early diagnosis and timely detection play a vital role in curbing breast cancer. Therefore it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease for timely treatment. 

Dr Abida Sattar, Section Head of Breast Surgery at AKUH, championed the multi-pronged cause of Breast Cancer awareness, screening, diagnosis and treatment and reiterated that early detection plays a vital role in timely treatment. She added that breast cancer is a disease that is not limited to women but can also affect men. She also urged men to ensure the women in their lives get screened each year and immediately seek a specialist’s opinion in case of any symptoms.

Renowned celebrities Osama Tahir, Zhalay Sarhadi, and Umer Alam also pledged their support to the cause by leading the participants during the walk, which was held at the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre at the Hospital’s Stadium Road Campus. 

While the Pink Walk was the highlight of the evening, the Hospital’s breast surgeons and other clinical leads leveraged this opportunity to interact and educate the walk attendees and the wider audience on the benefits of timely breast screening, diagnosis, and treatment. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated internationally every October. AKUH dedicates the entire month to educating the public that early detection saves lives. In addition to encouraging women 40 years of age and above to get mammograms every year, the Hospital also encourages men to support their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters, to get screened and not ignore any symptoms. 

The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan, has a robust Patient Welfare and Zakat programme. In 2021 alone, 950,000 patients received financial support worth PKR 3.7 billion, giving them access to AKUH services across our network, present in over 120 cities in Pakistan.