Pfizer’s support to Tata Trusts Cancer Care Programme helps enroll and screen close to 70,000 people for NCDs and Cancer within a year

Pfizer has announced that its support to Tata Trusts Cancer Care programme since 2020 has helped in enrolling and screening 70,000 people for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and Cancer across Assam, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. Pfizer partnered with Tata Trusts’ Special Purpose Vehicle, Alamelu Charitable Foundation (ACF) for their Cancer Care Programme to help set up health and wellness kiosks, facilitate community screening and a virtual patient helpdesk, and assist in the training of ASHA and Anganwadi workers in Diphu and Silchar in Assam and, additionally, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

Assam has one of the highest rates of new cancer cases in India. The objective of the partnership is to help bring down the high burden of cancer by raising awareness, aiding in early detection of cancer, and, through several programmes, serving the public, patients and caregivers support through the cancer treatment journey.

Commenting on the achievements of the program so far, Mr S Sridhar, Managing Director, Pfizer Limited, “Innovative and life-saving therapies are the foundation of modern cancer care, and yet, care must begin from reducing exposure to modifiable risk factors, large scale screening to help early detection and diagnosis, and supporting patients through their journey. Our partnership with the Tata Trusts Cancer Care Programme has helped us truly support patients from early detection, through the care continuum, to help ensure that their treatment outcomes are the best possible. We are proud of the outcomes we have achieved in the first year and look forward to expanding this program within Assam; to other cities in the North-East; and to the rest of India.”

Dr Sanjiv Chopra, Chief Executive, Cancer Care Programme, Tata Trusts, said, “The Cancer Care Programme of Tata Trusts envisages interventions across the continuum of care including outreach, technology, financial assistance and a host of other thoughtful and strategic initiatives. Our partnership with Pfizer has been helping us to deliver the care and support that is needed to help reduce the burden of cancer in select states. Through our collaborative efforts, we hope to continue improving the lives of many.”

The partnership initiatives underway in Diphu and Silchar in Assam, Ranchi in Jharkhand, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh comprise the following initiatives:

– Health and Wellness Kiosks: Pfizer supports kiosks at Diphu Medical College & Hospital and Silchar Medical College, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi and Area Hospital, Chandragiri, Chittoor. The kiosks work towards raising awareness on how patients can reduce the risk of cancer and other lifestyle-related disorders. They screen for oral, cervical, and breast cancer. Counselling sessions are also arranged to help people quit smoking. This counselling is of particular importance in India as tobacco use is associated with one-third of all cancers in the country.

– Virtual patient helpdesks: These have been set up at the State Cancer Institute (SCI) in Assam, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Cancer Care and Advanced Research (SVICCAR), in Tirupati and at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), in Ranchi, Jharkhand, to help patients with non-medical assistance such as psycho-social support, financial counselling and registration support for virtual appointments. The virtual helpdesks are complemented by an on-site trained patient navigator.

– Community Outreach: Screening and early detection camps for non-communicable diseases are carried out in association with state National Health Mission in Assam, Ranchi, and Tirupati. Training is conducted for General Practitioners (GPs) and Health Care Partners to identify cancer symptoms and administer palliative care wherever warranted. Training is conducted for ASHAs and Anganwadi workers on cancer prevention, lifestyle modification, and screening for cancer and other non-communicable diseases.

– Patient referral and tracking platform: This is a digital application that is used to track and capture demographic and screening related information.