Cancer should be declared notifiable disease across states, UTs, says Parliamentary panel

New Delhi: A Parliamentary committee has recommended that cancer should be declared a notifiable disease across all states and Union Territories.

Headed by Narain Dass Gupta, the Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha, in its 163rd report presented on Wednesday, said reliable data is vital for assessing public health issues, particularly cancer, where comprehensive information is essential to track trends, design policies and plan infrastructure.

At present, cancer data is primarily drawn from the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), which covers only about 18 per cent of the population, considered to be insufficient for a national picture. Healthcare professionals have long advocated for declaring cancer a notifiable disease.

At present, the government’s position is guided by WHO norms, which limit notification to communicable diseases.

“However, given the rising cancer burden in India, this stance warrants a serious reconsideration. Given India’s rising cancer burden, the Committee is of the view that declaring cancer notifiable would ensure systematic reporting, generate real-time and credible data, strengthen surveillance and enable evidence-based policymaking,” it said in the report.

It would support targeted interventions, rational resource allocation, region-specific strategies and development of appropriate infrastructure, the report said. While some states have already made cancer notifiable, a national mandate would ensure uniform documentation and a clear picture of the disease burden.

The panel has also recommended expediting the inclusion of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme across all states and Union Territories to significantly reduce cervical cancer incidence and improve women’s health outcomes.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in India, and the HPV vaccine has proven effective in its prevention, the Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha, said in its report submitted on Wednesday.

Parliamentary committee has recommended taking proactive steps to expand the institutional footprint of AYUSH-based healthcare services across the country to promote integrative oncology approaches and enable patients to benefit from diverse therapeutic options rooted in India’s traditional knowledge systems for combating cancer.