Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pink Ribbon signed on Tuesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for breast cancer awareness campaign in the higher education institutions of the country.
The MoU is a follow-up of a meeting held in August this year between Dr Javaid R Laghari, Chairperson HEC and Fariba Shiraz Thomson, Chairperson, Pink Ribbon Pakistan in which it was decided that HEC would make a Task Force for advocacy campaign of Pink Ribbon and Dr Samina Amin Qadir, Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi was nominated as the Focal person for the campaign.
It was also decided that two Focal Persons will be nominated from HEIs of each province, who will work and co-ordinate with all the Vice Chancellors and Steering Committee of the Pink Ribbon Awareness Campaign. Dr Sohail Naqvi Executive Director HEC and Omar Aftab National Co-ordinator Pink Ribbon Pakistan signed the agreement.
Dr Laghari said that over 1.5 million higher education students across the country could play an important role in spreading awareness about the disease. "According to a recent report, 50 percent of our population lives below poverty line and in this scenario, the gravity of the situation needs more focused and passionate effort to reach at the grassroots level," he said.
Dr Sohail Naqvi said this is a big social issue, which needs immediate measures. "We will use all our considerable resources for success of this campaign. Extra efforts will be made for conducting meaningful research in the area. We must understand that this is a problem which is very closer to our own homes and it needs a concerted and consistent approach to be dealt with," he said. Dr Samina Amin said that HEC has become a strategic partner of the Pink Ribbon Pakistan for extending research and development, academic and technical support for the breast cancer awareness through provision of its outreach, human resource and facilities. HEC and Pink Ribbon will form a working group for need assessment and formulation of action plan for next five years.
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