Context and Policy Evolution
- Current stance: The Union government resists making cancer a notifiable disease, citing its non-communicable nature.
- Shifts in notification policies:
- 2024: Snakebites made notifiable despite being non-infectious.
- 1995 (U.S.): Lead poisoning listed as a notifiable disease, setting a precedent for NCD surveillance.
Relevance : GS 2(Health , Governance)
Rationale Behind Disease Notification
- Primary goal: Control contagious diseases through legal mandates on reporting.
- Notifiable diseases: Require rapid intervention due to immediate public health risks (e.g., outbreaks, direct transmission).
- Cancer’s unique nature:
- Not directly transmissible.
- Requires long-term management rather than emergency response.
Challenges in Making Cancer Notifiable
- Diversity of Cancer Types
- Ranges from benign to highly malignant.
- Diagnosis involves complex and multi-stage identification.
- Legal mandates may not improve patient outcomes.
- Privacy Concerns and Stigma
- Disease notification laws prioritize public health over individual privacy.
- Cancer still carries stigma, leading to reluctance in seeking treatment.
- Existing State health laws grant broad powers to local authorities, raising concerns over patient rights.
- Existing Cancer Surveillance Framework
- National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) (established 1982) already collects crucial data:
- Patient demographics, cancer type, stage, treatment, and survival outcomes.
- National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) (established 1982) already collects crucial data:
- Gaps in NCRP coverage:2022 data: 269 hospital-based and 38 population-based registries—insufficient for national surveillance.Hospital-based registries must extend to all district headquarters hospitals.Population-based registries should be established in every district.
A Better Alternative: Strengthening Cancer Registries
- Expanding NCRP ensures comprehensive data collection at tertiary and district-level hospitals.
- Encouraging voluntary reporting rather than legal mandates avoids burdening physicians and preserves privacy.
- Improving screening programs enhances early detection and timely intervention.
- Incorporating private hospitals into NCRP for wider data coverage.
