Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, recently unveiled a comprehensive nine-target strategy as part of the Bengaluru-Declaration of FICCI Cancer Care Task Force. This initiative is dedicated to significantly reducing premature deaths caused by cancer, improving the quality of life as well as elevating cancer survival rates in the State.

The FICCI Cancer Care Task Force requested the Government of Karnataka to provide emphasis on the below key focus areas to improve the status of cancer care in the State-

• Drive screening coverage for cervical, breast and oral cancers in a significant manner. Also embed a robust gatekeeping and referral pathway for positive screened patients

• Focus on increasing access to comprehensive cancer care facilities including medical, surgical and radiation oncology

• Expand coverage under the Ayushman Bharat- Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme to also include advanced treatment options

• Evaluate the creation of State Level Advisory Body to enable implementation of Standardised Treatment Protocols and eligibility criteria for empanelment of hospitals to provide cancer care under AB-ArK scheme

• Focus on creating mass awareness about risk factors (beyond tobacco use), prevention, symptoms, options for diagnosis and treatment.

Earlier, the FICCI-EY Report 2022, developed under FICCI Task Force on Cancer Care Infrastructure highlighted that it is imperative that the country focuses on effective prevention, targeted screening, and large-scale awareness as the primary response to addressing the disease burden by avoiding the unnecessary stigma attached to cancer.