{"id":46992,"date":"2025-07-30T20:37:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/punjabenews.com\/English\/?p=46992"},"modified":"2025-07-30T20:38:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T15:08:49","slug":"46992","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/punjabenews.com\/English\/breaking\/46992\/","title":{"rendered":"PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#8216;MISSION UMEED\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#8216;MISSION UMEED\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEYSTONE FOR CANCER CARE: HEALTH MINISTER DR BALBIR SINGH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Dr RODERICO H. OFRIN APPLAUDS PUNJAB\u2019S BOLD PUBLIC HEALTH VISION AND EFFORTS TOWARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NCDs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u2014 HEALTH MINISTER ALSO UNVEILS STANDARD TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOR CONSISTENT HIGH QUALITY CANCER CARE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CHANDIGARH, July 30:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In a pathbreaking initiative to combat the escalating burden of cancer, the Government of Punjab, in close technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India, has launched a comprehensive and people-centred Cancer Care Pilot Project in the districts of Bathinda, SAS Nagar (Mohali), and Gurdaspur. This transformative project was jointly unveiled by Punjab\u2019s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Balbir Singh, and WHO Representative to India, Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, marking a significant milestone in the state&#8217;s commitment to strengthening cancer care and ensuring access to early, equitable, and quality treatment for all.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This pioneering initiative is designed to enhance early detection, timely diagnosis, and prompt treatment of oral, breast, and cervical cancers \u2014 three of the most prevalent and preventable cancers in India \u2014 through a decentralised, systems-based approach. It aligns strategically with the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), and aims to seamlessly integrate cancer care into all levels of Punjab\u2019s public health system \u2014 right from Ayushman Arogya Kendras at the grassroots, to advanced tertiary care hospitals. This synergy is aimed at reversing the current trend, where over 60% of cancer cases in Punjab are diagnosed at advanced stages, leaving limited scope for effective intervention.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Addressing the gathering, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh emphasised, \u201cCancer does not mean death \u2014 it is very much curable if diagnosed in time. Early detection is the keystone of cancer care. This initiative is a reflection of our belief in health as a fundamental right, and our resolve to build a resilient and inclusive health system for all. We are leading by example and showing how innovation, backed by strong partnerships, can deliver life-saving outcomes.\u201d He further called attention to unhealthy lifestyles and poor dietary habits as critical contributors to rising cancer incidences, advising citizens to adopt a healthier routine that includes at least an hour of daily physical activity and nutritious, home-cooked food.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India, applauded Punjab\u2019s bold public health vision and efforts toward prevention and control of NCDs. He further stated that Mission Umeed with its comprehensive action plan stands out as leader in comprehensive cancer care in the country. He further stated that sustaining these investments and efforts, Punjab is well on track to achieving the NCD targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) by 2030. He concluded saying, \u201cWHO is proud to be a partner in this important initiative, and will continue offering its full technical support to make this model a replicable success across India\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The cancer care pilot adopts a robust three-tier referral model, and encompasses a wide range of interventions: from universal screening of individuals aged 30 and above, capacity-building of frontline workers and clinical staff, integration of follow-up and referral systems, digital monitoring via the NP-NCD portal, to intensive community engagement and awareness campaigns led by ASHAs, Community Health Officers (CHOs), and local governance structures.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This project builds upon Punjab\u2019s strong collaboration with WHO India in areas such as the India Hypertension Control Initiative and now expands that partnership to address the pressing challenge of cancer. Beyond enhancing early detection and treatment adherence, the pilot aims to reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals, fortify community-level health systems, and establish a scalable model that could shape national and global strategies in cancer prevention and care.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Earlier, Dr Balbir Singh also released updated Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs), providing a critical roadmap for healthcare providers and policymakers to deliver consistent, high-quality cancer care across the state.STGs have been prepared by technical experts from AIIMS Delhi, PGI, Homi Bhabha, Govt Medical Colleges and expert specialists from all over the State.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On this occasion Principal Secretary Health Kumar Rahul, Special Secretary Health-cum-MD NHM Ghanshyam Thori, Director Health and Family Welfare Dr Hitinder Kaur, SPO NP-NCD Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, Medical Officer Dr Ashu, Dr. Abhishek Kunwar National Professional Officer (NCD) WHO &#8211; India, Dr. Ashish Bhat National NCD Officer WHO &#8211; India, Dr. Abhishek Khanna National Professional Officer (Health Promotions &amp; SDH) WHO &#8211; India,\u00a0 were also present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#8216;MISSION UMEED\u2019 \u00a0 EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEYSTONE FOR CANCER CARE: HEALTH MINISTER DR BALBIR SINGH \u00a0 Dr RODERICO H. OFRIN APPLAUDS PUNJAB\u2019S BOLD PUBLIC HEALTH VISION AND EFFORTS TOWARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NCDs \u00a0 \u2014 HEALTH MINISTER ALSO UNVEILS STANDARD TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOR [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":46993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2328,19,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","category-latest","category-punjab"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#039;MISSION UMEED\u2019 - PunjabENews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/punjabenews.com\/English\/breaking\/46992\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#039;MISSION UMEED\u2019 - PunjabENews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PUNJAB LEADS THE WAY IN CANCER CARE WITH WHO-BACKED INITIATIVE &#8216;MISSION UMEED\u2019 \u00a0 EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEYSTONE FOR CANCER CARE: HEALTH MINISTER DR BALBIR SINGH \u00a0 Dr RODERICO H. 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