Karachi-based gastroenterologist honoured with prestigious US award

Dr Lubna Kamani, one of Pakistan’s leading gastroenterologists and hepatologists, has been honoured with the prestigious 2025 SCOPY Award by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) for her groundbreaking work highlighting the cultural and social barriers that prevent women in Pakistan from undergoing life-saving colorectal cancer screening.

Her award-winning project, titled ‘Barriers and Challenges of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Women’, sheds light on how embarrassment, stigma and the lack of female specialists discourage thousands of women from undergoing colonoscopy, a simple yet critical procedure for early detection of colorectal cancer. As a result, many female patients present at advanced, untreatable stages when chances of survival are minimal.

Dr Lubna, who is a professor at the Liaquat National Hospital and a consultant at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, told The News that the recognition is not just personal but a call for change.

“Women often avoid colonoscopy out of fear or cultural hesitation, yet this delay costs them their lives. They are also often not financially independent, and cost becomes a serious barrier where government facilities are not available. We need more awareness, female specialists and stronger public health messaging to normalise screening.”

The SCOPY Award, announced in the US, will be presented at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, this October. Her work will also be featured in the official SCOPY Awards booklet circulated globally among gastroenterology experts.

Public health experts believe her achievement is significant not just for medical recognition but also for pushing open discussion on a subject long considered taboo in Pakistani society. By highlighting these barriers on an international platform, Dr Lubna has amplified the urgent need for investment in female-led screening services and awareness campaigns to save lives.