Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha and several other public and heritage landmarks will be illuminated in pink on Thursday as part of a breast cancer awareness programme led by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). The initiative is intended to draw attention to early detection, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
The buildings included in the programme are Vidhana Soudha, Town Hall, Mayo Hall, Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Library and the RGUHS campus. The university has also proposed illuminating prominent government and heritage buildings as well as affiliated colleges to carry the awareness message across the city.
The proposal received approval from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Medical Education Minister Sharanaprakash Patil, Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao and Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Tushar Girinath, according to the Times of India report.
“Through the proposed pink illumination of prominent public buildings and affiliated colleges, RGUHS aims to draw public attention to breast cancer and reinforce the message that early detection can improve treatment outcomes and save lives,” RGUHS Vice-Chancellor Bhagavan BC said.
The university also plans to organise breast cancer awareness programmes in collaboration with Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and other leading cancer-care institutions. These programmes are expected to focus on public awareness, recognising symptoms, early detection and timely medical consultation.
RGUHS intends to publish a booklet covering self-awareness, the importance of recognising symptoms, early detection and seeking medical advice without delay. The awareness campaign therefore combines the temporary lighting of prominent city landmarks with educational material and programmes involving medical institutions.
The initiative comes against a backdrop of a high breast cancer burden in southern and metropolitan states, according to studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research and public-health data cited in the report. Telangana has the highest age-standardised burden among the states mentioned, followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
By using highly visible public buildings, the campaign will place the health message in spaces associated with Bengaluru’s civic identity and daily public life. Further awareness programmes and the proposed booklet are the next steps identified by RGUHS as part of the campaign.
