On National Cancer Awareness Day, the Ministry of Ayush spotlighted its expanding efforts to combat cancer through integrative care, research, and public outreach. With cancer remaining the second leading cause of death globally, India is intensifying its focus on education, early detection, and holistic health practices to address the challenge more effectively.
The ministry emphasized that a significant portion of the cancer burden stems from preventable factors such as tobacco use, poor diet, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, environmental pollutants, and HPV infections. Early detection, especially for breast, cervical, and oral cancers, can dramatically improve survival rates. The ministry urged citizens to adopt sustained healthy lifestyle choices, including avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, eating plant-based diets, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and reducing exposure to pollutants.
Prataprao Jadhav highlighted the need for a proactive, people-centric approach to cancer awareness and prevention. He underscored the ministry’s commitment to ensuring affordable, holistic, and supportive care reaches every citizen. Integrative models that combine modern oncology with Ayush systems, he said, can significantly enhance quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Rajesh Kotecha reaffirmed the ministry’s dedication to evidence-based, patient-centric solutions. He pointed to the growing network of integrative cancer-care initiatives and partnerships with leading institutions such as TMC-ACTREC, Arya Vaidya Sala, and AIIMS. These collaborations are advancing therapeutic insights, improving symptom management, and demonstrating the capacity of Ayush systems to complement modern oncology through systematic research and clinically validated supportive care.
Centres of Excellence are playing a pivotal role in this expansion. At TMC-ACTREC in Mumbai, integrative care and Ayush drug discovery are supported through in-silico, preclinical and clinical studies, specialized outpatient departments, and capacity building. At Arya Vaidya Sala in Kottakkal, a dedicated center has managed over 26,000 cancer patients in the past two years, including hundreds of lung cancer cases, showcasing the impact of integrated patient care.
The ministry reiterated that prevention, early diagnosis, and integrative supportive care must remain central to India’s response to the growing cancer burden. Strengthening awareness, improving access to screening, and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices are essential to reducing risk and improving outcomes. The vision is to combine modern medical approaches with the preventive and supportive strengths of Ayush systems, offering a comprehensive pathway to reduce the national burden and enhance the wellbeing of patients and communities.
A CCRAS IEC publication on cancer awareness is available to the public, further supporting the ministry’s outreach and education efforts.
