New Delhi: An estimated 1,517,204 cancer cases have been detected among women in the last two years in the country, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. “As per the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR - NCRP), the estimated incidence of cancer cases among women in the country for 2022 was 7,49,251 and in 2023 the number was 7,67,953,” said Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Satya Pal Singh Baghel in the Rajya Sabha.
In a written reply to a question on screening infrastructure for cancer in women, Baghel said that the Central government implements strengthening of tertiary care cancer facilities scheme. “In all, 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) have been approved under the said scheme,” he said while replying to a query from TMC MP Derek O’brien.
He informed the National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar (Haryana) and the second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, have also been set up. “Under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY), setting up of 22 new AIIMS and upgradation of 75 new projects of Government Medical Colleges have been taken up,” Baghel said.
The minister said that the Department of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the States and UTs under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), as part of the National Health Mission (NHM), based on the proposals received from the States and UTs and subject to the resource envelope.
“The programme focusses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion and awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cancer. For activities up to the district level and below, States are given financial assistance under NHM in the ratio of 60:40 (90:10 in the case of NE and hilly States). Under NP-NCD, 753 District NCD Clinics, 355 District Day Care Centres and 6,237 Community Health Centre NCD Clinics have been set up,” Baghel stated.
The minister informed that a population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs, including diabetes, hypertension and common cancers, has been rolled out in the country under NHM and also as a part of Comprehensive Primary Health Care.
“Under the initiative, persons more than 30 years of age, including women, are targeted for their screening for the three common cancers--cervical, breast and oral--screening of these common cancers is an integral part of service delivery under Ayushman Arogya Mandir--as of February 2, 2024, a total of 1,64,500 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational,” Baghel stated.
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