Breast cancer has been declared by the World Health Organization as the most common cancer, globally affecting women and claiming the lives of thousands of women every year.

More than 100 iconic buildings of Pakistan will turn pink to support Pink Ribbon’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign on October 8.

The buildings of provincial assemblies, Supreme Court, high courts, governor houses, Minar-e-Pakistan and Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum besides several buildings of the banks will wear pink lights to highlight the issue, encouraging regular health checkups.

Omer Aftab, Chief Executive Officer Pink Ribbon Pakistan, said, “The illumination is aimed at creating widespread awareness while bringing the subject into the mainstream, urging the policymakers to take this issue as a priority. Moreover, it is to draw attention to the early detection of breast cancer and in solidarity with the survivors.”

He added that over the years, Pink Ribbon has illuminated hundreds of buildings of national significance. The illuminated buildings will become a symbol of hope and a reminder to the public that prevention may not be in our hands but early detection is. This year, Pink Ribbon is once again illuminating major buildings to highlight the issue.

October is marked as the breast cancer awareness month every year and people all over the world, by different methods, contribute in creating the awareness like Pink awareness walks, pink tea parties, fundraising/charity events, and illumination campaigns. Illumination specifically instills a ray of hope in the suffering patients, portraying a message to the public to help breast cancer patients and also protect themselves from this deadly disease. This campaign makes the sufferers realize that they are not alone in this fight.

Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer in Asia with 90,000 breast cancer cases being annually reported in the country out of which 40,000 die, reports suggest.