Context:
India observes National Cancer Awareness Day annually on 7th November.
National Cancer Awareness Day
- India has been observing National Cancer Awareness Day since 2014, the day aims to raise public awareness of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
- According to data from the National Cancer Registry Programme, approximately 800,000 new cancer cases are expected each year, with tobacco-related cancers accounting for as much as 35–50% of all cancers in men and 17% in women.
Why this day is celebrated on 7th November?
7th November marks the birthday of the famous Polish-French physicist and chemist Marie Curie. In 1867, she won a Nobel Prize for her discovery of radioactivity, which helps in cancer treatment.
- Marie Curie was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes for Science. First in physics in 1903 and second in chemistry in 1911.
India is the first country in the world to officially recognize National Cancer Awareness Day.
The Growing Progress in Cancer Care in India
The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) was launched in 1975 and later integrated into the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke (NPCDCS), which has been operational since 2010.
- NPCDCS was launched to prevent the rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).
The government has taken various measures to address cancer caused by tobacco, such as:
- Comprehensive Primary Health Care: The preventive aspect of cancer is strengthened through the Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) scheme, which promotes wellness activities and community-level health communication.
- Nutrition Promotion: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) promotes healthy eating habits to reduce cancer risk.
- Pictorial Warning: Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules 2014, India has one of the world’s most stringent rules on pictorial warnings on tobacco packets covering 85% of the packet surface.
Recently, the Union Finance Minister announced the exemption of three critical cancer medicines namely Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib, and Durvalumab from customs duty.
The government is using new approaches to cancer treatment such as:
- Magnetic hyperthermia-based Therapy: It uses magnetic nanoparticles to target and destroy tumour cells with minimal side effects.
India is also actively participating in international collaboration against cancer. Quad Cancer Moonshot is a joint initiative between the U.S., Australia, India, and Japan to strengthen its role in the global fight against cancer.
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