Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s contribution of $7.5 million for sampling kits, detection kits, and vaccines towards the Quad Moonshot Initiative for the detection, prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his address at the QUAD Leaders’ Cancer Moonshot Event in Wilmington, Delaware, PM Modi said India has a very cost-effective ongoing cervical cancer screening program on a mass scale.
He said that India also runs the world’s largest health insurance scheme. “And, special centres have also been created to make medicines available to everyone at an affordable cost. India has also developed its own vaccine for cervical cancer. And new treatment protocols are being launched with the assistance of AI.”
He said the Quad Cancer Moonshot event reflects the Quad countries’ shared commitment to affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare.
“During the Covid pandemic, we had launched the ‘QUAD Vaccine Initiative’ for the Indo-Pacific. And, I am pleased that in QUAD, we have collectively decided to tackle a challenge like cervical cancer.”
“In Cancer Care, Collaboration is essential for Cure. An integrated approach encompassing prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment is essential to reduce the burden of cancer.”
He said that India is ready to share its experience and expertise in the field. “Today, many experts from India working in cancer care have joined us for this event. India’s vision is ‘One Earth, One Health’.
“In this spirit, I am pleased to announce our contribution of $7.5 million for sampling kits, detection kits, and vaccines under the Quad Moonshot Initiative. India will also offer support in radiotherapy treatment and capacity building.”
He also said that through the initiatives of GAVI and the QUAD, India will contribute 40 million vaccine doses for Indo-Pacific countries. “These 40 million vaccine doses will become rays of hope in the lives of crores of people. As you can see, when the QUAD acts, it is not just for nations – it is for the people. This is the true essence of our human-centric approach,” the PM added.
Through the Cancer Moonshot initiative, the Quad leaders committed to work together to address gaps in the cervical cancer care and treatment ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific countries.
As part of the initiative, India will share technical expertise in digital health through its National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) portal. As part of its $10 million commitment to support the World Health Organization (WHO) led Global Initiative on Digital Health, India will provide technical assistance to the Indo-Pacific region. This includes offering technical support for the use of its National Non-Communicable Disease portal, which tracks long-term data on cancer screening and care.
India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection tools and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region. This significant contribution aims to strengthen local efforts to prevent and detect cervical cancer and empower communities with affordable, accessible tools for early detection and prevention, while supporting vaccination programs to reduce the disease burden across the region, a statement said.
India is scaling up population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers through its National Progamme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. In particular, India uses the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method for cervical cancer screening, which is simple, cost effective and efficient and allows healthcare workers to detect early signs of cervical cancer without the need for advanced laboratory infrastructure, making it a model for other regions in the Indo-Pacific.
India is expanding access to specialized cancer treatment centers under its “Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Centres” program. The Government of India is supporting both states and union territories to improve treatment capacity across the county, ensuring that people from all parts of the country, including underserved areas, can receive high-quality care.
India is committed to affordable cancer treatment through Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). As part of its broader health coverage efforts, PMJAY, India is committed to providing affordable cancer treatments to its citizens, ensuring financial protection for those most in need.
India’s commitment to cervical cancer elimination is further supported by implementation research led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The research is focused on enhancing cervical cancer screening, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The results and findings will be shared with the Indo-Pacific countries in the coming years, to strengthen regional collaboration, a statement said.
