🎇 Diwali Special India GK Quiz 🎉
4️⃣ Which index evaluates how prepared countries are to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer?
What is the Cancer Preparedness Index? 🩺
The Cancer Preparedness Index (CPI) is a comparative framework that looks at how ready different countries are to tackle cancer across the full journey—prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, and long-term survivorship. Instead of focusing only on how many cases or deaths occur, the CPI examines whether systems are strong enough to manage the rising burden of cancer in a sustainable and equitable way.
At its core, the CPI blends policy, service delivery, and health system foundations. Policy readiness checks whether a country has national cancer control plans, screening guidelines, tobacco control, and registries. Service delivery looks at access to diagnostics (like pathology, imaging), availability of trained specialists, and treatment infrastructure. Foundations cover financing, data systems, workforce training, and research capacity.
Why does it matter? Because cancer is not a single disease. There are more than a hundred types, each with unique biology, risk factors, and treatment pathways. A country that invests in strong primary care, screening programmes for common cancers, reliable referral networks, and affordable medicines will save more lives—often at lower costs—than a system that reacts late when disease is advanced.
For India, preparedness is especially important. Our population is large and diverse, with both rural and urban health needs. Strengthening screening for cervical, breast, and oral cancers; ensuring quality pathology; expanding radiotherapy capacity; and improving patient navigation can dramatically improve outcomes. Many states now run awareness campaigns and screening drives through primary health centres and community workers, which is a smart way to reach people early.
Another pillar of preparedness is data. Population-based cancer registries help us see trends by region and age, identify hotspots, and evaluate the real-world impact of programmes. When data flows smoothly—from primary screening to tertiary centres—planners can allocate budgets better and avoid bottlenecks in diagnostics and treatment.
Financing also plays a central role. Prepared systems protect families from catastrophic health expenditure by using a mix of public schemes, insurance, and price control for essential medicines. Countries that bundle screening, diagnostics, and early-stage treatment under public financing typically achieve better survival and reduce out-of-pocket shocks for households.
🔎 Did You Know? (Rochak Tathya)
- Preparedness ≠ spending alone: Countries that focus on prevention and early detection often save more lives than those that spend heavily on late-stage treatments.
- Three big levers: tobacco control, HPV vaccination & cervical screening, and early detection of breast/oral cancers can change national survival curves within a decade.
- Pathology is pivotal: Accurate diagnosis determines the right therapy. Investments in pathology labs and quality assurance directly improve outcomes.
- Radiotherapy access: A balanced mix of surgery, systemic therapy, and radiotherapy is essential; adding new machines without trained staff or maintenance plans doesn’t fix the problem.
- Patient navigation: Simple tools—SMS reminders, helplines, and referral coordinators—prevent drop-offs between screening, biopsy, and treatment.
- Data saves money: Good registries and e-health records let planners see what works and stop funding programmes that don’t.
Preparedness is also about equity. Urban hospitals may have advanced facilities, but the system is only as strong as the experience of a patient in a small town or village. Telemedicine, hub-and-spoke tumour boards, and mobile screening units help bridge this gap. Training nurses and primary physicians to recognise warning signs—and enabling swift referrals—can transform outcomes without massive new construction.
Finally, awareness matters. Balanced public communication reduces fear, encourages screening, and fights misinformation. During festivals like Diwali, communities can combine celebrations with health camps—lighting not just diyas, but also the path to early detection and timely care.
