Global Cancer Initiative

The Quad countries comprising the United States, Australia, India, and Japan on Sunday launched the Quad Cancer Moonshot, a global effort to help end cancer in the Indo-Pacific. The initiative will first tackle cervical cancer, a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the region, and subsequently take on other forms of cancer as well.

Forming a part of a broader set of announcements made at the Quad Leaders Summit at Delaware in Washington, the Cancer Moonshot Initiative will serve to strengthen the overall cancer care 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged $7.5 million to the initiative. Speaking at the summit, the PM emphasised the importance of accessible and affordable healthcare, particularly in cancer prevention and treatment. India has witnessed a growing cancer burden in recent years. According to a study published in PubMed Central, the projected number of new cancer cases in India in 2022 was 1,461,427, with an incidence rate of 100.4 per 100,000 individuals.

Around one in nine people in India is expected to face a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Lung and breast are the leading sites of cancer in males and females, respectively. The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) estimates there were 19.3 million cancer cases worldwide for the year 20201. India ranked third after China and the US. GLOBOCAN predicted that cancer cases in India would increase to 2.08 million, accounting for a rise of 57.5 per cent in 2040 from 2020.

Jammu and Kashmir too has experienced a steep rise in cancer cases over the past decade. The National Cancer Registry Programme has revealed that over the last six years, the Union Territory has seen a staggering 80,000 cancer cases, with the highest-ever recorded in 2023 at 14,112 cases. The alarming surge, according to healthcare professionals, is attributed to sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and the consumption of chemical-laden food items.

But it is also true that cancer is a global disease. Although lifestyle changes, and food choices can make some indifference, the disease needs a global initiative to address its growing incidence. And it is here that the Cancer Moonshot Initiative is a salutary initiative and could go a long way to advancing research, improving treatments, and ultimately reducing cancer-related deaths worldwide.