Urgent Call: Empowering Change by Making Cancer a Notifiable Disease on World Cancer Day
On World Cancer Day, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Indian Cancer Society, Apollo Cancer Centres, and Family Physician Associations launched the “Unify to Notify” campaign, advocating for cancer to be classified as a notifiable disease in India. This initiative aims to improve cancer detection, management, and research by facilitating real-time data collection and accurate reporting. Making cancer a notifiable disease could lead to the development of standardized treatment protocols and enhance India’s global standing in oncology research and care.
India recorded approximately 14,61,427 cancer cases in 2022, with projections suggesting a 12.8% increase by 2025. Highlighting the urgency, Dr. Arunabha Sengupta of the Indian Cancer Society emphasized that this classification could bridge current gaps in cancer surveillance, ensuring all cases are documented for better resource allocation and treatment protocol development. Dr. P. N. Mohapatra from Apollo Cancer Centres noted that a robust cancer registry aids in tracking trends and outcomes, and making cancer notifiable could transform cancer care in India.
Although several states like Haryana and Karnataka have recognized cancer as notifiable, a national mandate is still awaited. A 2022 Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health recommended this classification, urging the government to legislate accordingly. Industry experts hope for legislative progress during the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament.
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/make-cancer-a-notifiable-disease-urge-medical-bodies-and-indian-cancer-society-on-world-cancer-day/article69180360.ece
Category :
Tags:
Publish Date: 2025-02-05 04:10:00
