The second edition of the Cancer Summit hosted by the Indian Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council brought together oncologists, policymakers, global health experts, and stakeholders from all verticals in the country including policy regulators and pharma on a single platform to deliberate on the challenges of the cancer care and management in the country. The summit aimed to discuss and propose ideas to address the challenges of cancer care including policy regulations. It emphasized on the importance of breaking the silos of cancer care and adopting a “continuum of care” approach while integrating cancer care in the healthcare infrastructure of the country.

This summit took place amidst the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted health systems worldwide, including cancer care. The pandemic created numerous challenges for cancer patients, such as delays in diagnosis, treatment interruptions, limited access to healthcare facilities, and increased psychological distress. Therefore, it became imperative to prioritize cancer care and treatment even during the pandemic.

Despite the challenges, the Rapid Global Cancer Alliance proactively leveraged digital platforms to create awareness about health concerns including cancer and address the healthcare gaps caused by the pandemic. Digital modes of communication became essential for disseminating information and supporting cancer patients and the IHW Council played a significant role in ensuring that the bottlenecks resulting from the pandemic are resolved with utmost urgency.

One key aspect of Rapid Global Cancer advocacy initiatives was the use of online campaigns and webinars to raise awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment options. These initiatives reached a wide audience, providing crucial information on risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of regular screenings. By utilizing social media platforms, websites, and virtual meetings, oncologists and healthcare experts engaged with the public, answered queries, and shared valuable insights hence broadening the knowledge on critical aspects related with cancer.

The experts at the Cancer Summit 2021, discussed about the importance of data and numbers as far as efforts in R & D are concerned. The experts also emphasised on cancer register, insurance coverage and affordable diagnostic tests for better health outcomes for all.

It is our belief as an organization that the key to reducing cancer inequalities is to implement a patient centric approach; listen to the experiences and viewpoints of cancer patients, their caregivers, and their communities, and to involve them actively in the fight against cancer at every stage. With this philosophy firmly in place as our guiding light, the RAPID Global Cancer Alliance strives to explore and bridge gaps in the healthcare system so that people even in the most remote places may have access to timely, good, affordable cancer care and the Cancer Summit was a step forward in that direction.

The proactive efforts in utilizing digital modes of communication during the pandemic showcased the resilience and adaptability of the healthcare community in India and the IHW Council took no time in upgrading the Rapid Global Cancer Alliance initiatives, to digital mode. By embracing technology, healthcare providers effectively bridged the gap caused by restricted physical interactions, ensuring that cancer patients received necessary support, information, and care and the cancer care discourse becomes more humane and patient-centric so that care and treatment modalities are available for all, irrespective of the questions of affordability and educational level. The Rapid Global Cancer Alliance worked in a pro -active manner to ensure that Covid19 should not slow down the focus and care that is required by cancer patients and used technology to ensure that all relevant information and knowledge sharing is curated and compiled together for effective management of cancer.

In conclusion, the Cancer Summit organized by the IHW Council highlighted the importance of addressing cancer care with a “continuum of care” approach. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rapid Global Cancer Alliance, proactively leveraged digital platforms to create awareness about cancer and bridge the healthcare gaps. Through online campaigns, webinars, telemedicine, home-based care programs, and psychosocial support initiatives, the IHW Council, ensured that cancer patients received uninterrupted care and support. These proactive measures showcased the commitment of the Indian healthcare system to prioritize cancer care even during challenging times.