Counting cancer: Making cancer a notifiable disease at the national level is the way forward
The article highlights the urgent need to make cancer a notifiable disease at the national level in India. Currently, cancer is not notifiable, leading to underreporting and incomplete data, which hinders effective policy-making and resource allocation. Population-based cancer registries cover only a small percentage of the population, and even states like Telangana, which recently made cancer notifiable, face challenges in data collection. The World Health Organization projects a significant increase in cancer cases by 2040, underscoring the necessity for robust, real-time data to improve prevention, treatment, and overall public health response.
Key Points
- Cancer is currently not a notifiable disease at the national level in India, leading to significant data gaps.
- Existing population-based cancer registries cover only a small fraction of the population, hindering comprehensive understanding of the disease burden.
- The WHO projects a substantial increase in global cancer cases by 2040, emphasizing the need for better data for effective public health strategies.
- Making cancer a notifiable disease would enable better monitoring, resource allocation, and evidence-based interventions.
- The Indian government, through ICMR-NCDIR, has previously recommended making cancer a notifiable disease.
Exam Facts
- The World Health Organization (WHO) projects an estimated increase of 74% in cancer cases globally between 2022 (20.1 million) and 2040 (34.9 million).
- Telangana is the latest state to join the list of states that have made cancer a notifiable disease.
- The Indian Council of Medical Research, National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (ICMR-NCDIR) had recommended making cancer a notifiable disease years ago.
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