To strengthen the fight against cervical cancer, India has pledged a grant of US$7.5 million for screening, detection and diagnosis of the disease in the Indo-Pacific region.
Addressing the Cancer Moonshot event hosted by US President Joe Biden during the Quad Leaders Summit in Delaware on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the initiative will go a long way in providing affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to people in the Indo-Pacific countries.
The Quad Cancer Moonshot is an “unprecedented partnership” aimed at saving lives by fighting cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region. Through this initiative, the Quad countries comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia have committed to work together to address the gaps in the cervical cancer care and treatment ecosystem in Indo-Pacific countries.
As India’s contribution to the Cancer Moonshot initiative, Modi announced a USD 7.5 million grant for cancer testing, screening and diagnosis in the Indo-Pacific region.
“India is ready to share its experience and expertise,” he said, stressing that the grant is in keeping with India’s vision of “One Earth, One Health”.
The Prime Minister also announced that India would provide assistance in capacity building for radiotherapy treatment and cancer prevention in the Indo-Pacific region.
He also said that Indo-Pacific countries will benefit from the supply of 40 million doses of vaccine from India under GAVI, an international organisation founded in 2000 to improve access to new and under-utilised vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries, and the QUAD programmes.
“When the Quad acts, it is not just for nations, it is for people. This is the true essence of our human-centric approach,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted that India has developed a vaccine for cervical cancer and is working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based treatment protocol for the disease.
India has offered technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on DPI for cancer screening, care and continuity through a contribution of US$10 million to the Global Initiative on Digital Health.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House on Saturday, the Quad Cancer Moonshot will work to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific by improving health infrastructure, expanding research collaborations, building data systems and providing greater support for cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care.
“Cervical cancer, preventable through vaccination and usually curable if detected early, still remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region. Less than one in 10 women in the Indo-Pacific have completed their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series, and fewer than 10% of women have recently undergone screening. Many countries in the region face challenges related to access to healthcare, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates. Through this initiative, the Quad countries will work to address these gaps by promoting HPV vaccination, increasing access to screening, and expanding treatment options and care in underserved areas,” it said.
The fact sheet said the Quad countries will work together with UN agencies on bulk procurement of HPV diagnostics to reduce the cost of cervical cancer screening and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve the quality and access to medical imaging and radiation therapy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
