An Initiative announced by US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit.

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India, United States, Australia and Japan form the Quad. Quad partners, through the Initiative, “intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer. The Quad launched the programme to focus on expanding cervical cancer screening; increasing vaccinations against HPV(human papillomavirus), a common sexually transmitted infection that is the primary cause of cervical cancer; and treating patients. They will also “work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy,” as per the release from Ministry of External Affairs.

The Initiative built on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to ending cancer; will begin by catering to cases of cervical cancer, which, according to a statement by the White House, is “a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the Indo-Pacific region”, besides laying the groundwork for other forms of cancer.

Cervical cancer, which is “preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early,” is the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region, with ironically “Fewer than one in 10 women” having completed their HPV vaccination series, and “fewer than 10%” having undergone recent screening in the in the Indo-Pacific region.

The initiative acknowledges the gaps in healthcare facilities, highlighting that “many countries in the region face challenges related to healthcare access, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates.”

India’s contribution to the Cancer Moonshot Initiative

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on the occasion, announced that India is working on AI based solutions to assist screening and diagnosis for cervical cancer. A “grant of US $7.5 million will be dedicated to cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region and provide support for radiotherapy treatment and capacity building for cancer prevention in Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific countries will also be benefiting from the supply of 40 million doses of vaccine from India under GAVI and QUAD programs. India will, additionally, offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on DPI for cancer screening, care and continuum through its US $10 million contribution to WHO’s-Global Initiative on Digital Health.

Tata Memorial Centre’s Contribution to the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative

Dr. Sudeep Gupta, Director, TMC and President, Women’s Cancer Initiative(WCI), graced the occasion with his presence with Shri Narendra Modi and Mr. Joe Biden in full support of the initiative, and is one of the key national leaders in this drive in research, diagnostic, treatment, community screening and vaccination segments.

WCI and TMC are grateful to be a part of this endeavour under Dr. Sudeep Gupta’s leadership and whole heartedly support this initiative working towards this cause.