Caritas Institute of Development Action and Learning (CIDAL) of Caritas India organised a webinar “Close the Care Gap: Realising the problem” on 4th February 2022 to observe World Cancer Day 2022. Caritas India has been working on Cancer Care Campaign since 2014 and have a lot to share our experiences. The theme of WCD this year is Close the Care Gap: Realising the problem. The webinar was attended by around more than 200 participants.

“World Cancer Day is an international day to create awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatments. ‘Close the Care Gap’ campaign is all about understanding and recognising the inequities in cancer care around the globe,” said Fr (Dr.) Jolly Puthenpura, Asst. Executive Director, Caritas India while setting the context of the webinar. He welcomed all the dignitaries and participants of the webinar.

“Caritas India has been promoting Cancer Care Campaign since 2014 through promoting cancer prevention programs, cancer detection and connecting cancer cases with hospitals etc.,” shared Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjely, Executive Director, Caritas India with his vast experience in the field of the health sector. The Ashakiranam Cancer Care campaign initiated by Caritas India in various parts of the country in a small way has been popular now with many volunteers being part of the Cancer Care campaign of Caritas India. He also informed that the hospital where he was serving as a director will soon be a cancer institute. He emphasised that it was a great day of renewed commitment and thanked everyone for being present and sharing the good vibes. It is a great experience of togetherness for a cause and expression of solidarity with the community in their distressing times.

Mrs. Jyotsna Govil, the current Chairperson of the Indian Cancer Society, New Delhi shared her experiences in the Cancer Society of India and its services. She has started volunteering with the Indian Cancer Society in 1985. She has also received Lifetime Achievement Award for long years of dedication to Cancer Control in 2014. She highlighted that awareness and trainings are the cornerstones of beating cancer. She stated, “NGOs are considered undervalues entities and they need to have enough data of the patients and in this regard role of volunteers is prime important.” She informed that 60,000 women die in a year and most of these are unnecessary deaths.

Mrs Rekha Gulabani, the Secretary & Vice President Cancer Sahyog and a breast cancer survivor shared on Cancer Care in India and addressed the gaps in cancer awareness. She informed Globally Non-Communicable Death is 71% and 13.9 lakh people are affected with cancer in 2020-21. It may increase by 15.7 lakh by 2025 if we do not control it. Cancer death can be eliminated to a great extent. She informed that lifestyle matters and wrong eating habits, late marriages, more children, lack of physical exercise, use of tobacco, alcoholism, stress and negative thinking. Ultraviolet rays causing skin cancer, myths related to cancer, denial, taboo and superstition, hesitation etc. can cause cancer.

“Inequity in cancer care costs lives. Income, education, location and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care,” said Dr. Yamini Krishnan, the Senior Consultant and HOD, Department of Paediatric Oncology,  MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kozhikode. She has been the Oncologist in Lisie Hospital, Ernakulam which is one of the leading hospitals in Kerala has been very supportive of the Ashakiranam Cancer Care Campaign of Caritas India. She shared a brief overview on Childhood Cancer and the understanding and recognising of the inequities in cancer care around the globe. She said the gap affects everyone, including you and your loved ones. These barriers are not set in stone and childhood cancer is curable if it is treated on time.

The diocesan directors of Social Services shared their experiences of being part of the Cancer Care Campaign of Caritas India. Ms. Jessy Xaviour, a Breast Cancer Survivor and Ashakiranam Volunteer shared about her painful experiences and the support she received from the Ashakiranam cancer care campaign through KIDS, Kottapuram.