Core Activities: Over 800,000 new cancer patients are diagnosed every year in India. Over 500,000 patients die every year from cancer. Number of deaths from cancer is more than combined death rate of Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS. Majority of cancers are diagnosed late. Majority of patients are unable to undergo standard treatment (lack of awareness, lack of nearby treatment facilities, inability to pay for treatment). Most poor patients and many with resources as well, die with months of suffering beyond imagination. This “suffering” is also the main concern in patient’s mind when diagnosed with cancer. “suffering” is at several levels, not just physical pain. Blood diseases like Thalassemia, are rampant in India. About 10,000 children are born each year with thalassemia major. These children need blood transfusion every two to four weeks for rest of their life, with other medicines. They mostly die before age 40, and in poor families they die mostly before age 20. It is expensive to treat and is a silent suffering for whole family, not just the child. And, this disease is almost 100% preventable, as well as curable in few children.
