Organised every 4th February and led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), World Cancer Day is a global initiative that aims to inspire greater awareness of cancer and action in better preventing, detecting and treating the disease.

World Cancer Day 2022 marks the first year of a new three-year campaign centred on the issue of equity. The campaign theme ‘Close the care gap’ recognises the power of knowledge and challenges assumptions. This first year of the campaign raises awareness about the lack of equity in cancer care and explains the barriers that exist for many people in accessing services and receiving the care they need – and how these barriers potentially reduce a person’s chance of surviving cancer.

Essentially, policymakers, governments and self-help groups must work towards identification of the gaps in cancer care that exist between rich and the poor, metros, towns and villages, urban and rural areas. We must girdle up to find solutions to close these gaps through various socio-economic and socio-political initiatives.

It starts with creating awareness of the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, through preventive vaccination against HBV and HPV, screening against oral, cervical and breast cancer.  Adequate manpower training and infrastructure development must be created towards early diagnosis and timely management.

A policy document must be prepared by every state health authority towards creation of district registries and a state cancer registry to map the magnitude of the problem. This should be followed by an outcomes analysis that provides a picture of the result of each rupee spent by the state. This would provide direction to the state to consolidate areas for more intensive involvement. The Corporate Sector could provide funds under Corporate Social Responsibility to help 'close the care gap', especially in cancer screening and preventive vaccination.

(The author is Dr. D Raghunatha Rao, Founder Director of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Center and Chief Consultant Medical Oncologist at KIMS ICON, Visakhapatnam)