Lucknow, March 31 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is considering a proposal to include cancer, especially among children, among the list of notifiable diseases to facilitate early detection and cure, said a senior health department official on Tuesday.

A notifiable disease is one that is required by law to be reported to government authorities (health departments) by healthcare providers, laboratories, and veterinarians.

The official said that compulsory reporting of childhood cancer and other patients will allow officials to track disease prevalence and intervene to protect public health.

Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education, Uttar Pradesh, reiterated the State’s commitment to strengthening cancer care systems, including the possibility of making cancer a notifiable disease.

“Uttar Pradesh is building a model where systems, institutions, and stakeholders come together to ensure that every child with cancer is identified, treated, and supported,” said Ghosh.

“Through convergence across departments and partnerships, we are working towards ensuring access, financial protection, and improved outcomes at scale,” he said on the sidelines of a state consultation workshop held in Lucknow on Monday.

Poonam Bagai, Member, ICMR Central Ethics Committee on Human Research, Cankids founder and Childhood Cancer International’s WHO South East Asia Region Representative, said Uttar Pradesh has also emerged as a leader in financial protection, with schemes that follow the child across state borders, ensuring continuity of care irrespective of where treatment is accessed.

“Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become the world’s leading model for childhood cancer care at scale, demonstrating how large, high-burden regions can deliver on 100 per cent access, 100 per cent financial protection, and 60 per cent survival,” said Bagai, herself a survivor.

Uttar Pradesh is home to nearly 20 per cent of India’s children with cancer and approximately 4 per cent of the global childhood cancer burden. The state has an annual childhood cancer burden of 14,700, with 52 per cent currently accessing care.

The Yogi Adityanath government is also considering a proposal to set up a task force on childhood cancer with the help of other stakeholders, said an official.

“A structured Paediatric Oncology Task Force will enable regular review, coordination, and integration of childhood cancer care within the state’s broader cancer strategy,” he said.

Since the signing of the State MoU with National Society Cankids Kidscan, Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated measurable progress in strengthening childhood cancer systems. Access to care has increased from 25 per cent in 2019 to 52 per cent in March 2026, reflecting the impact of coordinated action between government, paediatric oncology institutions, and civil society partners.

A campaign has also been rolled out across all the 75 districts for health information dissemination and capacity building of health care professionals, workers and institutions through four childhood cancer divisions – Gautam Buddha Nagar, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi, said an official.

Soon, the State Tumour and Teleconsultation Board with specialists from all tertiary cancer centres in the State will support clinical decision-making and train professionals and service delivery teams, ensuring high standard of care in paediatric oncology treatment, said a statement.

Soniya Nityanand, Vice Chancellor KGMU, Lucknow, said the Uttar Pradesh government’s initiative to deliver on 100 per cent access, 100 per cent financial protection, and 60 per cent survival of childhood cancer patients aligns with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) and UNGA 80 commitments, positioning Uttar Pradesh as a potential national and global model for large-scale childhood cancer systems transformation.

–IANS

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