From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 26: BJP leader and former health minister, A.L. Hek called on Union Minister Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday and shared his concern over rising cancer cases in the hill state.
The state faces one of the highest cancer incidence rates in India, reporting 176 cancer cases per one lakh population higher than the national average of approximately 100 cases. East Khasi Hills is particularly affected, with a staggering 227 to 228 cases per one lakh population.
The high cancer burden in the state is heavily linked to the widespread local consumption of tobacco and betel nut. Hek said that the Health Minister of Meghalaya has already written to the Ministry concerning the same.
After the meeting Hek said that the union minister assured full support and positive action to control the fatal disease. The Centre, in collaboration with the state government, is actively addressing the state’s high cancer burden through the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) and collaborating on several multi-pronged approaches to prevent, screen, and treat cancer in the state and the region as a whole.
