In the Indore Government Cancer Hospital in India’s Malwa Nimar region, a sixty percent surge in breast cancer cases was witnessed – in just two years. Between 2016 and 2018, cases jumped from 700 to 1,125 according to hospital records. In the same timeframe, the total number of cancer increased by 12.5 percent, from 4,000 […]
Breast cancer
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Lessons for India
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Telangana state capital Hyderabad commemorated the observance by illuminating monuments and other sites in pink – reflecting the colour of the ribbon which serves as the symbol for the event. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month…helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well […]
HWCs: Almost 21,000 built under Ayushman Bharat
![A primary health centre in Thuravoor, Kerala. Strengthening India's primary healthcare infrastructure through HWCS is a core of Ayushman Bharat. (Image credit: Ranjithsiji [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/800px-Thuravoor_Primary_Health_Center_Main_Building.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Healthcare equipment: The greatest disparity?")
More than 20,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) are operational across India. HWCs mark a major commitment by the Centre to strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure in the country, coming as part of its flagship health insurance initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or Ayushman Bharat. In the previous year, 20,942 HWCs have become […]
Indian research into the spread of breast cancer
A collaborative research project is underway between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati and Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bangalore into the means by which breast cancer spreads throughout the bloodstream. Research indicates that, by 2020, India could expect to see around 76,000 deaths due to breast cancer per year. These deaths could […]
India will need 7,300 cancer doctors by 2040 as chemotherapy need and cancer cases rise
By 2040, the number of people living with cancer who require chemotherapy will increase significantly worldwide. The burden will be most pronounced in low- or middle-income countries, including India, home to the third largest number of people living with cancer in the world. “The number of cancer cases necessitating first-line chemotherapy treatment will increase by […]
Why India fails to be a breastfeeding nation
India is failing to be a breastfeeding nation – potentially putting the lives of its newborns at risk. Just 41.5 percent of newborns in India are breastfed within an hour of being born. This is according to new data released by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), ahead of World Breastfeeding Awareness Week this year. On […]
Cancer screening reach more in Telangana, hence spike in reported cases
This article was originally published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission. By Nimeshika Jayachandran Telangana is seeing a drastic increase in the suspected number of cancer cases recorded in the state, particularly oral, breast and cervical cancers, new data from the National Health Profile shows. Over 9,000 new suspected cases having been recorded in the […]
Bollywood cancer cases shine light on national crisis
Social media is abuzz with reports of two famous Bollywood actors announcing their diagnosis of cancer. The stories have elicited emotional outburst all across the country and again brought to light India’s tough battle with cancer. First Irrfan Khan — star of over fifty Bollywood films and numerous international box office hits — announced in […]
Early detection in rural areas may stem cancer epidemic
Breast cancer kills tens of thousands of women every year in India. Those in rural environments may not have access to healthcare facilities in order to receive check ups, leading to late stage cancer development before treatment is obtained by the patient. This lack of early detection could lead to a far higher risk of […]
A fatal lack of awareness: Breast cancer in India
Late diagnoses could lead to 76,000 breast cancer deaths a year by 2020, claims a new study. Breast cancer: Common and deadly The study, published in the Journal of Business Research, says a lack of awareness surrounding the disease is causing late diagnoses. This increases the risk that, when detected, the cancer is too […]