Karachi, November 2022: Breast Cancer, Cervical and Ovarian Cancers remain the
leading cause of mortality among women in Pakistan. The increasing burden of Women’s
Cancers was discussed with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Health Minister during the launch of Roche
and Greenstar pilot project that aims to design, develop and demonstrate scalable service
delivery models that improve access to screening, early detection and treatment of Women’s
Cancers.
The project, which is starting from Karachi and Lahore, will target women of different age
groups and stages of patient journey, by providing door-to-door awareness, free of cost
screening and guidance for timely referral options by trained doctors at Greenstar clinics.
Azra Pechuho, Sindh Health Minister, while formally launching the project said, “Providing
standard of care treatment for Women’s Cancers is a priority for the Sindh government. We
are proud of the Roche and Greenstar collaboration for raising awareness, early detection
facilities and timely treatment of Breast, Cervical and Ovarian Cancers for women from the
underserved areas of Safoorah Goth.”
Speaking at the occasion, Hafsa Shamsie, the Managing Director of Roche Pharma said,
“Women face barriers at every stage of their disease journey, and this initiative is part of
Roche Pakistan’s broader vision of prioritizing ‘Women’s Health’ by addressing the
disparities that prohibit women from receiving appropriate care.”
“We aspire to provide innovative healthcare and play a transformative role in all stages of
female cancers, from initial screening through support during treatment that paves the way
for addressing the unmet needs of women cancer patients,” said Hafsa Shamsie further.
Dr. Syed Azizur Rab, CEO Greenstar Social Marketing said at the occasion, “We are very
proud to partner with Roche in implementing the first of its kind community outreach
program where women in catchment areas will receive free screening services and referred
for further assessment”.
Breast, Cervical and Ovarian Cancers are the most common form of cancers among women
in Pakistan, and early diagnosis makes these cancers treatable.
Pakistan has the highest incidence of Breast Cancer in Asia, with 25,000 cases in 2020 and a
mortality rate of above 50%. Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer in Pakistani
women. Each year, around 5000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with 3197
reported deaths and a mortality rate of above 63%. Similarly, 4500 Pakistani women are
diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer with a mortality rate of 70%. This high prevalence stems
from a lack of awareness, stigma, unaffordability, inadequate infrastructure, and distance to
screening sites.
Cancer puts a huge financial burden on the families while affecting them both emotionally
and psychologically. The initiative aims to align the stakeholders to increase awareness about
Women’s Cancers, the importance of early detection and availability of affordable treatment.
The screening services will be provided at Greenstar’s Safoora Goth Clinic in Karachi, which
was formally inaugurated today by Dr. Talib Lashari Technical Advisor, Sindh Population
Welfare Department.
