As the Communications Manager at CAPED, I’ve had the privilege of meeting countless inspiring women – survivors who’ve beaten the odds, fighters still in the midst of their battle, & sadly, those we’ve lost too soon to cancer. Each of these women, their stories, courage & resilience has left an indelible mark on my heart & reinforced my commitment to our cause.
At CAPED, our journey has been marked by challenges & hope, driven by the women we serve. From sitting with rural women during screening camps, to supporting those with difficult diagnoses & celebrating survivors, these experiences have deepened my understanding of our mission, & making it clear that empowering women through health initiatives & cancer awareness is more than just a job; it’s a calling to rewrite the narrative of women’s health in our communities.
Reflecting on these experiences, I am reminded of why our work at CAPED is so crucial. It’s about equipping women with the knowledge, tools, & support to take charge of their own health. Today, I am excited to share our story & the impact we’re making in the fight against women’s cancers, inspired by the incredible women we’ve had the privilege to serve.
The Silent Crisis
When CAPED was founded in 2014, we set out to address a critical but often overlooked health crisis in India. Our mission was clear, to break the silence surrounding women’s cancers, particularly cervical cancer & empower women through education, early detection & treatment.
The gravity of our mission is highlighted by alarming statistics:
- According to the ICMR, one woman dies of cervical cancer every 8 minutes in India.
- Breast cancer claims lives at an equally distressing rate, making it one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in India.
- Globally, cancer affects 1 in 5 people during their lifetime (WHO 2020).
- In 2022, there were 20 million new cancer cases and 7 million deaths worldwide (WHO 2024).
- India faces a particularly sharp rise in cancer cases with 46 million new cancer cases diagnoses in 2022 & projected increase to 2.08 million cases by 2040 (NCBI 2023).
Breaking the Silence
Ms. Mridu Gupta (CAPED CEO) recalls, “We realized that empowering women wasn’t just about providing medical services. It is about breaking the silence, dispelling myths, & creating a supportive environment where women felt comfortable discussing their health.”
This understanding shaped CAPED’s approach from the beginning. Despite the prevalence of breast & cervical cancers, there was a deafening silence surrounding these issues in many communities. Our mission became not only to provide health services but to foster open dialogue & create awareness.
By addressing the cultural taboos & misinformation surrounding women’s cancers, CAPED aims to encourage early detection, improve access to treatment & ultimately, save lives.
Our Approach: Empowerment through Education and Action
At CAPED, we’ve developed a multi-pronged approach to tackle this crisis:
- Awareness Campaigns: Through our collaborative initiatives like #CancelCervicalCancer, #Global Public Health Week, #BeYourOwnShero & many more we have reached over 61.81 million people through social media, offline events, & community workshops.
- Cancer Screening Camps: In partnership with local health departments, we’ve conducted over 619 camps in 602 villages across 602 villages in Haryana, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan & Gujarat, screening 44,500 individuals & facilitating early detection.
- Training Community Health Workers: We have trained about 1,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) who provide crucial support & education in their communities.
- Patient Navigation Program: We supported over 1,315 patients who screen positive during cancer screenings, offering counseling & guidance to ensure early diagnosis & treatment adherence.
- Ambassadors Program: We have trained 14 Ambassadors in India & abroad, equipping them with cervical cancer knowledge & advocacy skills to drive awareness & prevention efforts to serve as pivotal change agents in their communities.
- Policy Advocacy: We work with Indian organizations (such as NICPR, AIIMS & Gurugram Civil Hospital, etc.) & global partners (such as the American Cancer Society (ACS) & the Cervical Cancer Action for Elimination Network, etc.) to advocate for national policy changes and improve access to prevention.
- Implementation Research: Our Cervical Cancer Prevention Model, initially piloted in Gurugram district over 2.5 years, has impacted 268 villages, trained 213 ASHAs & 61 nurses, screened 14,453 women & supported 97 screen-positive patients for further diagnosis & treatment. We are now researching this model in Rajasmand and Kheda districts, with plans to scale it to state-level interventions, accelerating India’s progress towards a Cervical Cancer Mukt Bharat.
Impact and Challenges
The impact of our work is clear: we’ve screened over 44,500 people for cancer, potentially saving thousands of lives through early detection. But behind the numbers are stories like Lakshmi’s – a woman from a rural area who, after months of suffering in silence, attended one of our camps & was diagnosed with cervical cancer. With the support of our team member, Sanjeet, she received timely treatment & is now cancer-free, & advocating for health awareness in her community.
Despite these successes, challenges such as cultural taboos, limited healthcare access, & scarce resources persist. But I believe that “Every victory is hard-won, but each life we save motivates us to push harder.”
Looking Ahead: Scaling Our Impact
As we look to the future, CAPED is focusing on several key areas:
- Expanding Rural Outreach: We are partnering with state governments to integrate our cancer awareness & prevention programs into existing healthcare infrastructure, aiming to make Cervical Cancer Mukt Bharat.
- Policy Advocacy: We are working with policymakers to include HPV vaccination in the national immunization program, secure increased funding for women’s cancer prevention, advocating with Parliamentarians for GST reduction on life-saving cancer drugs, developed a policy brief with IIM Indore, & supporting the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Standing Committee in creating recommendations for the “Cancer Care Plan & Management.”
- Stakeholder Engagement and Leadership: We are building & strengthening partnerships with government bodies, donors, & multilateral agencies to enhance the sustainability of our initiatives.
A Call to Action
As a Communications Manager, my role goes beyond just sharing our story. It’s about inspiring action. To our readers, I urge you to join us in this crucial fight. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a potential corporate partner, or simply someone who cares about women’s health, there’s a role for you in this mission.
To support our mission, we invite you to visit CAPED’s website at www.capedindia.org, where you can make a donation to help fund our critical work in cancer awareness & prevention.
Ms. Gupta sums it up perfectly, “Every woman empowered with knowledge about cancer prevention becomes a beacon of hope in her community. Together, we can create a future where no woman in India loses her life to a preventable cancer.”
At CAPED, we believe that empowering women through health initiatives & cancer awareness is not just about saving lives – it’s about transforming communities. As we continue this journey, we invite you to be part of this transformation. Together, we can build a healthier, more empowered India.
-Article by Dr. Manisha Ohlan, Ph.D.
Communications Manager, CAPED
