Youth Ambassador

Indian Cancer Society

I was six years old when my parental grandfather was diagnosed with larynx cancer and I realised he would never be able to speak to me again. Having already lost my maternal grandfather to cancer, I was keen to engage in efforts to prevent the spread of this deadly disease in India. I was also alarmed by the widespread incidence of cervical cancer in India which afflicts a significant number of women and yet is so easily preventable.

I joined the Indian Cancer Society as an intern on 1 September 2022, and was soon nominated to be the youth ambassador for the organisation. In my role, I have undertaken a number of initiatives, as detailed below.

Accolades & Awards

Volunteering

Screening Camp Volunteer

I volunteered at the screening camps organised by the Indian Cancer Society in the Delhi NCR region over the course of my two year internship, in rural and urban India. I was responsible for collecting patients’ medical data and helping them understand the causes and symptoms of different forms of cancer, as well as providing information about the cancers tested for including lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and ENT related cancers. In doing so, I aimed to fulfil the Indian Cancer Society’s mission of helping to screen members of underserved communities in Delhi for cancer with the belief that early detection would lead to an early cure for many.

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Palliative Care

I volunteered at the Prashanti centre, a palliative care centre run by the Indian Cancer Society which provides support for cancer patients and their families. I organised creative activities for young children diagnosed with cancer, including origami and clay sculpting.

Cancer Awareness Mobile Application

The Indian Cancer Society launched a cancer awareness mobile application which has been developed in partnership with Roche, on September 24, 23 at their Annual Seminar at the India International Center. I am a core member of the team responsible for developing the content of the app. My most significant contribution is a series of eight videos on cervical cancer. I am the only student to have contributed content.

Radio Talk

In order to disseminate information and raise awareness, I recorded a radio talk on cervical cancer. It was aired on the national channel Radio Air Rainbow 102.6 FM at 1 p.m on June 16, 2023 and impacted 3 million listeners.

Podcasts

I developed a series of short podcasts on the emotional and social impact of cervical cancer, the myths surrounding it, the precautions that must be taken and treatments options that are available to patients.

Cervical Cancer Awareness

Appeal Letter and Video

I advocated for making the indigenous cervical cancer vaccine a part of the Indian Government’s Universal Immunisation Program by developing an appeal letter on change.org and sending it to the Health Ministry.

For more info click here
From WHO – India Cervical Cancer Profile

Why this petition matters

Cervical cancer

Mainly caused by Human Papilloma Virus infection, Cervical Cancer is the leading cancer in Indian women. It occurs early and strikes at the productive period of a woman’s life, at 30–34 years of age and peaks at 55–65 years.

Preventable Cancer

Although it is preventable, a woman is dying from cervical cancer every 7 minutes and a woman is diagnosed with it every 4.5 minutes in India. Current estimates indicate that every year 123,907 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 77,348 die from the disease.

Vaccination Saves Lives

Vaccination has emerged as the most effective option for saving lives and preventing the occurrence of cervical cancer. The indigenous vaccine being released in 2023 will become available in India at a relatively lower price as compared to other vaccines in the market.

Appeal

I urge you to sign this appeal directed to the Government Of India, in order to make the vaccine a part of the Universal Immunisation Program (UIP), so as to save the needless loss of lives.