Counting cancer: On making cancer a notifiable disease in India

Source: The post “Counting cancer: On making cancer a notifiable disease in India” has been created based on “Counting cancer: On making cancer a notifiable disease in India” published in “The Hindu” on 4th July 2026.

UPSC Syllabus: GS 3-Science and Technology

Context: Cancer is emerging as a major public health challenge in India. However, it is not a nationally notifiable disease, resulting in incomplete and fragmented data on the disease burden. Making cancer a nationally notifiable disease can enable evidence-based policymaking and strengthen cancer control efforts.

Need to Make Cancer a Nationally Notifiable Disease

1. Rising cancer burden

1. The Global Cancer Observatory projects that cancer cases in India will increase from 1.41 million in 2022 to 2.46 million by 2045, representing a rise of over 74%.
2. The increase is driven by longer life expectancy, an ageing population, and changing lifestyles and dietary habits.

2. Inadequate national data

1. Population-based and hospital-based cancer registries currently cover only 10–16% of the population.
2. These registries are mainly concentrated in urban areas and government healthcare institutions.

3. Poor coverage of private healthcare data

1. A significant share of cancer treatment is provided by the private healthcare sector.
2. Since reporting is not mandatory, many cancer cases are not captured in national databases.

4. Need for evidence-based policymaking

1. Comprehensive data will help the government formulate effective prevention, screening, treatment, and awareness programmes.
2. Accurate data will improve healthcare planning and resource allocation.

Challenges

1. Absence of national legal mandate: Cancer is not classified as a nationally notifiable disease because the current policy mainly restricts notification to communicable diseases.
2. Limited coverage of cancer registries: Existing registries cover only a small proportion of the population and have an urban and government hospital bias.
3. Inadequate reporting from the private sector: Private hospitals and diagnostic centres do not uniformly report cancer cases, resulting in fragmented data.
4. Initial surge in reported cases: National notification will lead to a sudden increase in recorded cases, which may create administrative and resource challenges in the short term.

Way Forward

1. Make cancer a nationally notifiable disease:The Union Government should mandate reporting of every diagnosed cancer case across all States and Union Territories.
2. Integrate public and private healthcare reporting: All public and private hospitals, laboratories, and diagnostic centres should be required to report cancer cases through a uniform national system.
3. Strengthen cancer surveillance: Existing population-based and hospital-based cancer registries should be expanded to ensure wider geographical and population coverage.
4. Adopt evidence-based cancer control measures: Reliable national data should be used to strengthen cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and rehabilitation programmes.
5. Improve Information, Education, and Communication (IEC): Disease data should be utilised to design targeted awareness campaigns for high-risk populations and encourage early diagnosis.
6. Implement ICMR recommendations: The Centre should implement the recommendation of the ICMR–National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) to make cancer a nationally notifiable disease.

Conclusion: Making cancer a nationally notifiable disease will provide India with comprehensive and reliable data to strengthen surveillance, policy formulation, and healthcare planning. Learning from the 17 States that have already adopted this measure, the Centre should establish a nationwide notification system to build an evidence-based and effective cancer control programme.

Question: Making cancer a nationally notifiable disease can strengthen India’s cancer control strategy. Discuss the need, challenges, and the way forward

Source: The Hindu