KEEP CALM AND FIGHT CANCER

Yuvraj Singh, Lance Armstrong, Lisa Ray, Hugh Jackman, Angelina Jolie do not just share the status of being global celebrities but are also cancer survivors that have defeated the disease and are working towards helping others fight it. February 4th has been marked as the World Cancer Day and here are just few snippets from our side to make you more aware about the disease and its burden.

Going by its proportions, cancer is no longer merely a disease but has reached epidemic standards. Globally around 1 in 6 deaths were found to be caused due to cancer making cancer the second leading cause of death at global level. In 2018 it was responsible for an estimated 9.6 deaths globally, wherein like many other causes, a high proportion of almost 70% occurred in low and middle income countries. Furthermore, data from WHO shows that only 1 out of 5 of such countries have the requisite data to forge the policy associated in this context.
India accounted for around 784 thousand deaths in the year 2018 and more than 1 million new cases were detected, with almost equal proportions being detected in males and females. While there are more than 200 types and sub-types of cancers, in Indian context the cancer with most new incidences and deaths in 2018 was breast cancer, followed by lip, oral cavity, cervix uteri, lung with stomach cancer rounding up the figures for top five. Looking at the geographic representation, the data from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, for the year 2016 shows the highest estimated incidence among states in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar, whereas the lowest were recorded from Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
Research shows that certain risk factors could increase chances of developing cancer identified globally include tobacco use, use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Thus it remains that on personal level the prevention strategies should incline towards lifestyle choices that include avoidance of these factors. Major changes in your body should not go unchecked. More importantly, the mental burden and aspect of the disease should be effectively tackled, cancer having been dealt as a taboo and scary disease has had a lack of conversations that would only help towards awareness and early detection. On larger part of the system, the reduction in the disease burden could also be achieved through awareness for early detection and effective management of those affected.
Share Now
Other Blogs
Role of technology in M&E
When it comes to monitoring and evaluation (M&E), technology plays a significant role. More than
Mixed Method Research
Why Mixed Method Research is done? With the development and perceived legitimacy of both qualitative
Difference between Case Study and Best Practice
In the end of the session that DevInsights conducted jointly with Bernard Van Leer Foundation
The A (accountability) and L (learning) of MEAL
The monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) system is only effective when project teams use
Seven incredible years of DevInsights
DevInsights (DI) is celebrating its seventh (7th) birthday on December 4, 2022. The journey of
It’s time to stop overthinking yesterday
By the time this article gets published, we would have already completed 313 days of
If you are following a goal, first see what can kill it for you
Decision-making in life or business is an essential part of the success of your goal
Team: the oxygen of an organisation
Revenue is important for a business, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. Arguably,
INDIA AND NUTRITION
India is a contributor of close to one third of the world’s burden of under
AN YEAR OF PADDY FAILURE?
Rice is the basis of livelihood and the staple food for an overwhelming majority of
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY UNDER CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
CSR Policy:There is no single universal definition of CSR. It is an age-old concept that
Scientific Social Responsibility
Transfer of Knowledge to society: Knowledge is an important resource for the sustenance of our