Cancer Awareness Campaigns
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths. In India, nearly one in nine deaths is due to cancer. It is estimated that every year 14 lac new cases are diagnosed in India and there are an estimated 8.5 lakh deaths.
Cancer awareness is the key to early detection and better health-seeking behaviour. Cancer is quite common in both developing as well as developed countries. Poor awareness amongst common people leads to poor uptake of screening modalities and delay in diagnosis. Through awareness programmes, Amogh Foundation endeavours to create awareness not only for the common people but also for doctors to diagnose cancer early.
Cancer is spreading rapidly. Healthcare systems across the world are facing stiff challenges to tackle this issue. This appears formidable when India’s 1.3 billion population, which is considered to, spread across 29 states and 7 union territories with varying degree of population genetics, environment, lifestyle, etc. lead to a heterogeneous distribution of disease burden.
Hence, Nationally Cancer Prevalence varies with variations in Lifestyle & other factors.
The Chart below, gives region wise details of causes of cancer in India.
A significant number of cancers are Lifestyle related.
The chart below gives the various causes of cancer:
Hence, it is vital to follow a healthy lifestyle to prevent cancer. What you do today affects your tomorrow. A healthy lifestyle involves managing your weight, diet and being physically active.
All these help in preventing cancer.
Today’s lifestyle has led to a rapid increase in people with obesity. While only 250 million people were obese in 1980, the number has increased to 904 million in 2008. Obesity has a direct link to many different types of cancer.
The chart below gives the details of the same.
Physical activity reduces the incidence of different types of Cancer. There is a strong link between physical activity and cancer as shown below:
The chart below gives some more reasons why you should exercise:
Eating healthy is another way to prevent cancer.
Hence adopt the following healthy practices in your daily life.
- Avoid smoking and chewing tobacco
- Try and avoid or Limit alcohol consumption
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains
- Control weight
- Be active and exercise regularly
- Sleep for minimum 7 hours a day
- Get screened and do medical check-up regularly
People have the following feelings when they have cancer. These are myths and beware of them.
- Cancer = Death
- Cancer is a result of past sins
- Cancer can spread by touch
- Cancers runs only in families
- Smoking is bad but tobacco does not cause cancer