AWARENESS
- Community outreach
- Awareness
Why Awareness
Lack of awareness about early detection and preventive measures of cancer causes often leads to delayed diagnosis and late onset of treatment. Apart from the insufficient understanding of the disease, there is a strong association of cancer with fear. Fear of its onset, unpredictability of the treatment, high expenses and death. It is necessary to address the fear associated with the disease along with the societal myths and prejudices like cancer being contagious and fatal, that at times even the General Physicians also carry forward.
The three most commonly occurring cancers in India are those of the breast, uterine cervix and oral cavity. Survival rates for these cancers are good, provided they are detected and treated in the early stages. Promotion of better health seeking behavior by spreading awareness on adequate preventive measures and awakening the people regarding the perils of cancer can lead to better survival rates and a healthier population.
What we do
The Cancer Care team is working at multiple levels to create awareness. From mass awareness activities to specific engagements by way of community health workers and health care practitioners are being carried out. Efforts are being made to bring about a behavior change and attitudinal shift. Additionally, the team is working with policy makers, the police force and other government organizations to add impetus to the ongoing work.
Special focus is on women as often they are the promoters of the better health seeking behavior in the family. For oral cancer, special Youth engagement initiatives are being undertaken. Messaging that educates people to look for early symptoms in the body are being taken forward by the general physicians, gynecologists, ANMs, ASHAs, etc.
Training and education sessions are conducted for medical practitioners and workers, for carrying out the awareness activities and conducting the screening.
Messaging that conveys that cancer is more than a health crisis and can be addressed only with collective efforts of all stakeholders.
KEY OBJECTIVES
- Awareness about symptoms and early signs of cancer. Anyone can get affected by cancer. People who think they have the symptoms or early signs, should take immediate action and get themselves checked and screened.
- Propagate healthy lifestyle. Encourage healthy lifestyles and breaking free from the habit of consuming smoked and smokeless tobacco
- Promote regular screening. Educate about the importance of regular screening and mobilize beneficiaries at health facilities for screening of Non-communicable diseases.
- Direct engagement. Use of locally available tools to engage the community.
- Engage regional resources. Engage Local NGOs, ASHAs, Medical Officers, Multi-Purpose Workers and existing local channels to spread the information.
- Work with Community Leaders. To reinforce the message of healthy lifestyle and regular screening.
- Capacity building. Train medical practitioners and workers for promoting health seeking behavior.