Karachi (TCP Report):
Health experts, researchers, clinicians and community representatives have called for the establishment of a province-wide breast cancer registry in Sindh to strengthen evidence-based cancer care, identify inequalities and improve patient outcomes.
The call was made at a seminar organised by the Policy Research Unit (PRU), Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL) in collaboration with The University of Manchester at the PC Hotel Karachi to mark World Breast Cancer Research Day under the theme “Data Saves Lives.”
The event was attended by Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister of Health and Population Welfare, Government of Sindh, as Guest of Honour.
The session opened with Prof. Imran Bashir Chaudhry, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Ziauddin University and Hospital, who emphasised that behind every statistic is a patient, a family and an opportunity to build better healthcare systems for the future.
Prof. Nasim Chaudhry, Consultant Psychiatrist and CEO of PILL, described breast cancer as a major global health challenge and highlighted its substantial psychological impact, including the relationship between mental health, recurrence and survival. She also drew attention to persistent delays in accessing care, particularly among women with limited literacy and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.
Prof. Dr. Madiha Hashmi presented the experience of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Registry, demonstrating how standardised health data can support clinical decision-making, outcome monitoring, quality improvement and research. She noted that the experience provides a practical model for developing sustainable cancer registries in Pakistan, including Sindh.
Prof. Binafsha Manzoor Syed, Head of the Clinical Research Division at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), traced the evolution of cancer diagnosis and breast cancer registries and drew lessons from established registry systems in the UK and United States. She stressed that robust cancer registries are essential for developing effective cancer-control strategies and improving survival outcomes.
In her address,Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho commended the Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL) team for its efforts to develop and implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to addressing mental health needs.
She also commended Professor Fauziah Rabbani and Aga Khan University for the successful roll-out of the mPareshan project through lady health workers. The purpose of the project was to enable early identification, screening and referral for anxiety and depression at community doorsteps, mPareshan brings mental health care closer to the people.
The seminar concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening partnerships between government, researchers, healthcare institutions and communities, with better data, stronger research systems and evidence-informed policy positioned as essential foundations for improving breast cancer and mental health outcomes across Sindh.
The event was attended by representatives from leading academic institutions including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Dow University of Health Sciences, University of Karachi, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Salim Habib University, DHA Suffa University and SZABIST; healthcare and community organizations including Indus Hospital, PPHI Sindh and Karwan-e-Hayat; government health authorities including DHO Keamari, DHO South and DHO Central; as well as the SDGs Support Unit Sindh/ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
