Bangladesh needs a national breast cancer screening policy and stronger public awareness efforts to improve early diagnosis and reduce deaths, health experts have warned, as the country observes Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 10.

Around 12,764 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Bangladesh every year, while approximately 6,844 die from the disease, according to figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited by health experts.

The Bangladesh Breast Cancer Awareness Forum and the Department of Clinical Oncology at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) have jointly organised a discussion and a pink rally to mark the day.

The discussion, titled “Analysis of the Global and National Breast Cancer Situation and Ways Forward,” is scheduled for 10am at Dr Milon Hall on the BMU campus. A pink rally and leaflet distribution programme will follow at 11am, from Shahbagh to Karwan Bazar in Dhaka. The organisers will also announce a three-week awareness programme.

Professor Dr Md Habibullah Talukdar Ruskin, chief coordinator of the forum and project coordinator at Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Cancer Hospital, said about 90 percent of breast cancer patients could recover with proper and complete treatment if the disease is detected at an early stage.

He stressed that raising public awareness, encouraging women to recognise changes in their breasts, promoting breastfeeding and arranging affordable screening camps at the grassroots level could help reduce deaths in a country with limited healthcare resources.

The forum has observed October 10 as Breast Cancer Awareness Day through a non-government initiative since 2013. Throughout October, it conducts awareness activities on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.

The activities include distributing educational leaflets, holding discussions at educational institutions and workplaces, organising community meetings and arranging pink rallies to encourage greater public engagement.

Health experts say early detection and timely treatment are critical to improving survival. They are calling for a coordinated national approach that makes screening and reliable information more accessible, particularly for women who face barriers to healthcare.