Mumbai: Cervical cancer claims nearly 75,000 lives every year in India—largely due to late detection—despite being highly treatable in its early stages, with a 95% success rate if caught on time.
To address this gap, Tata Trusts has launched ‘Khud Se Jeet’, a nationwide public health awareness campaign encouraging women to overcome hesitation and prioritise timely cervical cancer screening.
Building on years of grassroots work—including 26,000 cervical cancer screenings conducted last year across Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra—Tata Trusts’ insights reveal that social stigma, fear, and silence often prevent women from seeking help, even when it’s available.
To spark conversation and break these barriers, Tata Trusts hosted a panel discussion featuring Dr Gauravi Mishra, Deputy Director, Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre; Dr Savita Goswami, Psycho-Oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital; and Vandana Gupta, cancer survivor and founder of V Care Foundation.
The session was moderated by Dr Rudradatta Shrotriya, Head of Medical Operations, Tata Cancer Care Foundation, who highlighted the deep-rooted emotional and societal factors that delay action.
Dr Shrotriya said, “Many women who experience early symptoms do not connect them to cervical cancer. Even if they do, shame or fear can delay action. Many also don’t know that risk can exist without any symptoms—making screening vital.”
He added that the disease’s projected burden in India stands at 1.5 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), with the highest impact among women aged 30–65, often those with the lowest awareness and access to screening. DALY is a measure of overall disease burden expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability, or early death.
To bring this message to life, Tata Trusts also unveiled a social awareness film portraying a woman’s struggle with self-doubt, silence, and the pivotal moment when she chooses to listen to her body and seek screening.
Shilpi Ghosh, Communications Specialist at Tata Trusts, said, “‘Khud Se Jeet’ was born from listening to women’s unspoken fears and hesitation. Cervical cancer isn’t just a medical issue; it’s an emotional one, hidden in silence and stigma. This campaign is our attempt to tell every woman: you matter, your health matters.”
Through this initiative, Tata Trusts aims to break the culture of silence, raise awareness, and help thousands of women act early—potentially saving countless lives.
