CPAA: Cancer Prevention & Cancer Counselling Programs in India CPAA: Cancer Prevention & Cancer Counselling Programs in India
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Advocacy - Stirring up the voice and consciousness of the public - that's what advocacy is all about.

Early this year the Supreme Court (SC) of India passed a judgment banning smoking in various public places. Tobacco as we all know is responsible for more than half the cancers in the country, given that head and neck cancers are the most common. CPAA has taken upon itself the task of creating awareness about the SC judgment among the general public and assisting in its implementation.

CPAA is not only active in raising awareness through screening and prevention, but is also an active crusader when it comes to effecting policy through advocacy. Here's how CPAA got to work with regard  to the above-mentioned judgment. To begin with CPAA involved the press and dialogued at length on the implications of the judgment. It went one step further by requesting corporates to declare their workplaces as Tobacco- Free zones. CPAA then counseled and encouraged all non-smokers in the work place to vocalize and assert their rights. This led to tremendous awareness. By making the environment less tolerant of smoking, it brought pressure on the smoker. CPAA appealed to the rationale of more than 250 organizations that joined the 'Smoke free workplace' movement. State Bank of India led dramatically by declaring their branches in Maharashtra and Goa as 'Smoke Free', thus enlisting the participation of 25,000 employees.

CPAA's efforts are not restricted to tobacco issues alone. The organization is also leading campaigns towards making anti-cancer drugs available to the common man.

Some landmark programmes launched:-

  • CPAA has successfully led a campaign against chewable tobacco, a major menace in India, resulting in ban of manufacture of such products in our state. The organization is now working towards an all-India ban.
  • CPAA was invited to Delhi by the Ministry to suggest a meaningful policy to control prices of cancer drugs.
  • CPAA has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging Novartis India's exclusive marketing rights (EMR) for Glivec, a lifesaving drug for the treatment of CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia), a cancer of the white blood cells. Read more >>
  • The organization is also leading a campaign against the new Patent Act 2005 which if enforced will make all anticancer drugs virtually unaffordable.

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