AstraZeneca India extends its Cancer Screening Programme in TN
The Ganga Godavari Cancer Screening Program for Women in Low-Income Communities in Tamil Nadu has been extended by AstraZeneca India.
In partnership with its partner Udhavum Ullangal, a public charitable trust, AstraZeneca India Private Limited, the services division of AstraZeneca, a leading science-led biopharmaceutical company, today announced the expansion of its flagship CSR initiative, the Ganga Godavari Cancer Screening Programme, to Tamil Nadu.
The inaugural screening camp was held at Tirunelveli to kick off the effort in the state in front of important dignitaries like Mr. Vishnu IAS, District Collector, Dr. Ravichandran, Dean of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Mr. Ramkumar, Director NCCC, as well as a few cancer survivors.
This research idea aims to make it possible for early detection of oral, breast, and cervical cancer, particularly in women from underprivileged communities across the nation who live in poverty. Additionally, it aims to raise awareness of cancer in general and the symptoms that could lead to an early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Gagandeep Singh, Country President of AstraZeneca India, emphasized the need for such an endeavour by stating, “Ganga Godavari Cancer Screening Programme is a mission to cut down the burden of cancer by establishing large scale awareness and encouraging diagnosis in early stages. The incidence of cancer among women is higher than that of men, according to an analysis of the country’s cancer burden. This indicates that there is a gap somewhere.
AstraZeneca India Limited
In the Tamil Nadu state, around 300 camps are scheduled to screen 9000 beneficiaries for cancer and educate 30,000 residents of Tirunelveli and neighbouring areas about the disease. According to Siva Padmanabhan, Managing Director of AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL), when asked about the initiative’s expansion to the state, he said, “We are happy to bring this to Tamil Nadu with Udhavum Ullangal. The initiative has seen tremendous acceptance and success over the past three years across multiple states. Through this effort, we hope to connect with low-income areas of the state where getting access to healthcare poses major challenges and lowers overall quality of life. In the future, where everyone has access to information on illness prevention, high-quality healthcare, and remedies, we are continually working toward that goal.
About 9.3 million deaths worldwide from NCDs are attributed to cancer, according to Mr. Vishnu IAS, the district collector. Except for what we have observed owing to the coronavirus in the past two years, the burden of NCDs is considerably larger in India than it is for infectious diseases. But as NCDs will become a greater hazard in the coming years, we also need to work together to reduce their burden on the nation. The state has developed a solid structure for methodically raising community knowledge of health issues like cancer through the NPCDCS initiative. An initiative like Ganga Godavari would undoubtedly complement the government’s efforts, and we hope that additional organizations will join forces with it.
