A recent op-ed written by famous actress Angeline Jolie about
her decision to undergo a double mastectomy to prevent a future likelihood of
breast cancer has generated discussion about all aspects of Breast cancer.
At one hand, it celebrates another milestone that
science has achieved while at the other, it showcases the amount of resources a
rich Western woman has at her disposal, to be proactive about the prevention of
a deadly disease even before the diagnosis. Through this blogpost, I would like
to throw some light on the increasing rates of Breast cancer in South Asia and
the constraints of civil society in battling with it.
South Asia includes countries like Pakistan, India and
SriLanka. A bird’s eye view of the Breast cancer situation in these countries
paints a very deplorable picture. Pakistan has the highest rate of Breast
cancer in all of Asia and 40,000 women die each year due to this disease.
India, on the other hand, also has almost the same number of casualties and is a place where 50% of the women diagnosed with Breast cancer have already reached
final stage. Breast cancer is the highest cause of death in women aged 24 and
above in SriLanka.
In these countries, the rich always have the monetary
resources to pursue treatment in expensive healthcare facilities in developed
countries. It is the poor women who suffer
the most and ironically are the most likely victims of the disease. Often times, they only seek help when it is
too late due to economic reasons. The
social stigma attached to the reproductive body parts of a female makes it even
harder to bring this topic out in the public for any intelligent dialogue.
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An Urdu Advertisment from Pakistan urging women under 40 to get regular check-ups and women for 40 to get screened once a year. |
One of the reasons why it is such a big issue is lack of
information and stigmas surrounding the disease. Poverty, language barriers and
the social taboos are also some issues which hinder the
discussion. Mostly the diagnosis takes place too late and when it is past
any chances to save the patient. Moreover, women are shunned by households and
many die in poverty, being destitute and helpless since the treatment is so expensive.
This causes further disturbances in the socio-economic fabric by displacing
families, disturbing kids and upsetting budgets. Things are made further
deplorable by the fact that there are not many specialized hospitals to treat
cancer in South Asia. For example, Pakistan, a country of 180 million, where
over 52 percent of population are women, has only one cancer hospital.
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Local school girls raise awareness about Breast Cancer
in Pakistan. |
Government and civil society are working hand in hand to
curb this disease. Pink Ribbon Pakistan is a fortunate NGO to be funded from
various government and international organizations. They offer self diagnosis
and treatment options, but on their website it clearly states, that they need
greater advocacy in the sector and want a dialogue initiated. Roko Cancer is a
similar NGO working in India which provides free ultrasounds and mammograms and
is creating meaningful change in behaviors and perception of people.
The civil society in these countries is striving hard to
generate greater voice through advocacy and by stimulating social movement
towards the Breast cancer cause. However, the mammoth size challenges they face
must not be underestimated. Often times they are dealing with complex
religious, cultural and social myths associated with the disease which are very
hard to dispel. Considering all these elements, in my opinion, further
empowerment of civil society in these countries may help increase local
people’s knowledge about the disease and improve the longevity of the patients.
Due to the advances in technology, a Breast cancer is
thankfully not incurable. In fact, it is promising to see that in developed
countries, such as the US, there has been a phenomenal 20% increase in 5 year
survival rate, in three decades. This is a huge increase made possible due to
increase in advocacy, dialogue, literacy and cheaper heath care options.
Perhaps, with greater care and empathy, one day not only privileged women in
the West but also the common women in developing world will be able to defeat
this deadly disease.
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Indian Actress Sonam Kapoor as a spokesperson for Elle Breast Cancer Campaign India. |