Daijiworld Media Network - Aizawl
Aizawl, Mar 1: Mizoram has recorded the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the country, with Aizawl district reporting an age-adjusted incidence rate of 269.4 per one lakh men, health officials said on Sunday.
A senior official from the state Health and Family Welfare Department stated that stomach and lung cancers are the leading causes of cancer in Mizoram. The high prevalence has been attributed to widespread tobacco and betel nut consumption, dietary patterns, and genetic factors.
In a bid to strengthen healthcare services, the Mizoram government signed an Externally Aided Project loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank on January 23 for the project titled “Supporting Public Health Care System Strengthening to Achieve Universal Healthcare for Mizoram,” popularly known as the Mizoram Universal Healthcare Scheme (MUHCS).
The official added that the World Bank-funded Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project has been successfully implemented and is expected to conclude by March 2026.
Under the initiative, the Mizoram State Super Speciality Cancer and Research Centre is being established in Aizawl under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Addressing a function in Aizawl on Saturday, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Lalrinpuii expressed concern that Mizoram has one of the highest cancer incidence rates in India relative to its population. She noted that even the Director of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, where many Mizo cancer patients undergo treatment, had remarked on the unusually high number of cases among people from the state.
The Minister said experts have linked the high cancer burden to heavy consumption of tobacco products, unhealthy dietary habits including smoked meat, pork fat and oils, and lifestyle-related factors.
Highlighting women’s health concerns, she said breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in India, followed by cervical cancer. Noting that 99.7 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), she described the free vaccination programme as a crucial preventive measure and urged all eligible 14-year-old girls to get vaccinated.
Mizoram Chief Secretary Khilli Ram Meena, speaking at the same event, said one out of every five cervical cancer patients globally is from India. He termed the free vaccination drive for adolescent girls as a vital and timely intervention, especially as Mizoram has one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the country and low screening coverage among women.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Campaign for 14-year-old girls to prevent cervical cancer. The programme was launched virtually across all states and union territories from Ajmer.