Tripura Launches Month-Long Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Health Secretary Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao formally launched the campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the State Guest House in Agartala in the presence of senior officials from the Health Department.

A senior Health Department official said breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally and continues to be a major public health concern. According to GLOBOCAN 2022 data, around 23 lakh women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide in 2022, while approximately 6.7 lakh died from the disease.

In India, an estimated 2,37,231 new breast cancer cases and 96,100 deaths were recorded in 2024, with breast cancer accounting for 30.4 per cent of all cancers diagnosed among Indian women, the official said.

Data from the Tripura Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR), ICMR, covering 2012-2016 showed that breast cancer accounted for 14.4 per cent of all cancer cases among women in the state, affecting approximately one in every 123 women.

The state government has undertaken several initiatives aimed at expanding cancer screening and ensuring that eligible sections of the population are covered.

Chief Minister Manik Saha launched the Mukhyamantri Niramay Arogya Abhiyan (MNAA) on December 31, 2025. Under the programme, dedicated screening drives are conducted twice a year, from January 1 to 14 and July 14 to 31, at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Primary Health Centres across Tripura, with screening focused on cancer and other non-communicable diseases.

During Thursday's launch programme, educational material for the public and technical resources for stakeholders, healthcare professionals, academics and students were also released.

Jhpiego provided technical assistance for the initiative, which is aimed at strengthening breast cancer awareness and care services in the state.

Officials said the month-long campaign will feature workshops at different levels in collaboration with AIIMS and Jhpiego, consultations with healthcare providers and ASHAs, seminars at medical and paramedical institutions, media talk shows and social media campaigns.

The programme will also include direct awareness activities involving PRI members and community-level outreach by Community Health Officers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives during Village Health and Nutrition Days.

Dr Arjun Saha, State Programme Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases, delivered a presentation on the importance of breast cancer awareness and outlined the roadmap for the campaign.

Health Secretary Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao urged stakeholders and members of the public to actively participate in the initiative, stressing the importance of collective efforts to promote early detection and strengthen breast cancer prevention and care across Tripura.

Additional Secretary-cum-Mission Director, NHM Saju Vaheed, the Director of Health Services, Director of Family Welfare, Joint Mission Director, NHM, Member Secretary of the State Health and Family Welfare Society, NHM, and Chief Medical Officers from all districts attended the launch programme.