On National Cancer Awareness Day, the Ministry of Ayush emphasised the urgent need to strengthen public awareness, preventive action and early detection as cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death globally. With oral, cervical and breast cancers posing significant health challenges across many countries, India is increasing its focus on education, routine screening and holistic health practices to curb the rising burden.
A substantial proportion of cancers in India stem from preventable causes such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, environmental pollutants and HPV infections. Strengthened awareness campaigns and behavioural change initiatives remain essential, as early diagnosis significantly improves survival outcomes. Breast, cervical and oral cancers, in particular, can often be detected at more treatable stages through regular screening. Encouraging healthy lifestyle choices—avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active and adopting a plant-rich diet—plays a critical role in reducing individual risk.
Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (IC) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, highlighted that safeguarding public health requires a proactive, people-centric approach. He noted that the Ministry is expanding integrative cancer-care centres, research collaborations and community outreach programmes to ensure accessible, affordable and holistic support for every citizen. Integrating modern oncology with Ayush systems, he added, can notably improve quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to evidence-based, patient-centric cancer care. Centres of Excellence and partnerships with leading institutions—including TMC–ACTREC, Arya Vaidya Sala, AIIMS and others—are enabling advancements in supportive care, symptom management and integrative therapies. For instance, the CoE at Arya Vaidya Sala has supported more than 26,000 cancer patients in the past two years, demonstrating the value of integrated approaches.
The Ministry reiterated that prevention, timely screening and integrative supportive care must remain central to India’s response to the growing cancer burden, aligning modern medical strategies with the preventive strengths of Ayush to improve outcomes and overall community wellbeing.
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