Lok Sabha Question No. 1596 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Cancer Awareness Campaign
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shiromani Ram, Rajveer Diler

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1596 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28th JULY, 2023

## CANCERAWARENESS CAMPAIGN

## 1596. SHRI RAMSHIROMANI VERMA: SHRI RAJVEER DILER:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has launched any campaign to make people aware of the preventive measures related to cancer disease;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is making efforts to promote research and development of State-of-the art system of medicine for prevention of serious life threatening diseases like cancer along with their early detection; and (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (PROF. SATYA PAL SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) and (b) The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs to implement the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) under National Health Mission. The Government of India launched the Operational Framework for Management of Common Cancers whereby community-level awareness for cancer prevention and early detection under Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centre scheme, by promotion of wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level. In addition, National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) gives financial support under NHM for awareness generation (IEC) activities for NCDs including cancer to be taken by the States/UTs as per their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs). Other initiatives for increasing public awareness about Cancer and for promotion of healthy lifestyle includes observation of National Cancer Awareness Day & World Cancer Day and use of print, electronic and social media for continued community awareness.

Furthermore, Eat Right Initiative is promoted through Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This initiative aims to promote both the demand for and the supply of safe and healthy food in a sustainable way.

The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grassroot level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation. The objective of this initiative including promotion of physical fitness of school children and promotion of rural and indigenous /tribal games

'Fit India Age appropriate Fitness Protocols' developed for three age categories, from 5-18 years, 18 -65 years, and above 65 years age group to promote physical fitness and health seeking behavior. Fit India and Khleo India movement are implemented by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and various Yoga related activities are carried out by Ministry of AYUSH.

National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (NMAP) for prevention and control of NCDs has been developed with various line Ministries/Departments to offers menu of policy options to guide multisectoral efforts towards attaining the NCD targets mentioned in the National Health Policy, 2017. An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has been setup to coordinate the multi-sectoral actions.

(c) and (d) ICMR has constituted India Cancer Research Consortium (ICRC) in which public and private entities working in cancer research are on board. ICRC's focus is on India Centric Cancers with 06 thematic areas viz. (1) Prevention & Epidemiology; (2) Diagnostics; (3) Therapeutics; (4) Basic Biology; (5) Palliative Care and (6) Innovation. Call is placed in priority areas of research involving both government and private set up.

Department of Atomic Energy has informed that the National Cancer Grid (NGC) has already created a platform for clinical research and clinical trials over the past six years. The clinical research platform has initiated 12 large long-term studies of national importance including funding them (approx. Rs 30 crores). These are studies that are done in cancers that are either common or unique to India and utilize cost-effective interventions to treat cancer. The NCG has created a Clinical Trials Network (CTN) through a competitive grant from Department of Bio-Technology -Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) wherein several NCG centres have collaborated, and collated data on five common cancers. The CTN is also a ready platform for the conduct of multicentric research in cancer and includes infrastructure and capacity building.