In accordance with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report on “Cancer preparedness in Asia-Pacific: Progress towards universal cancer control”, India has been ranked eighth with an overall score of 51.6 for cancer preparedness among 10 Asia-Pacific countries. The report sponsored by Roche, examined the findings from the EIU’s Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP) which was created upon the findings of the global ICP (evaluated 28 countries based on 45 separate indicators).
- The 10 Asia-Pacific countries included in this report were — Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
- India records below-average scores across all three pillars in the EIU’s ICP — policy and planning, care delivery, and health system and governance.
| Rank | Country | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | India | 51.6 |
| 1 | Australia | 92.4 |
| 2 | South Korea | 83.4 |
| 3 | Malaysia | 80.3 |
| Only Vietnam (44.5) and the Philippines (42.6) after India at 9th and 10th position respectively. | ||
Key Points:
-As of 2017, cancer was the 4th cause of death in India in comparison to 4th cause in 2010. For Japan, Thailand and South Korea, it was the leading cause of death in 2017.
-The most common cancer in 2018 on the basis of total incidence and mortality in India was Breast cancer followed by Lip and oral cavity at 2nd rank.
-India and the Philippines follow Australia in terms of the strength of tobacco control. Even, India was recognised for its progress in tobacco regulation.
–Immunisation scores are the lowest in India and Vietnam. Immunisation is measured by the presence of a national HPV vaccination programme and the coverage of hepatitis B vaccination among infants.
-The state of Rajasthan accomplished better medicine availability.
-High-income countries outperform upper and lower-middle income countries in terms of cancer preparedness.
- Three income groups were represented viz. high-income Australia, Japan and South Korea; upper-middle-income China, Thailand and Malaysia; and lower-middle-income India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
- 70% of cancer cases in low and middle-income countries in Asia are diagnosed at a late stage, an emphasis on preventive services and moving from opportunistic to population-based screening is needed.
About Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU):
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom (UK)
Managing Director (CEO)– Robin Bew
