The Department of Posts issued commemorative postage stamps on breast cancer awareness to mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with technical support from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava unveiled the souvenir sheet containing two commemorative postage stamps and several picture postcards dedicated to breast cancer awareness.
Smt. Srivastava emphasized the critical role of women's health in building healthy families and a healthy nation, highlighting the government's Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan campaign conducted from September 17 to October 2 last year. She detailed the significant achievements under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), which has integrated screening for oral, breast and cervical cancers into primary healthcare services across more than 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
The program has conducted a total of 86.97 crore screenings nationwide, including 49.02 crore screenings for oral cancer, 22.90 crore for breast cancer, and 14.05 crore for cervical cancer. Currently, 5.50 lakh individuals are undergoing treatment, comprising 2.70 lakh oral cancer patients, 1.43 lakh breast cancer patients, and 1.37 lakh cervical cancer patients. The NP-NCD portal and ABHA IDs under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission are ensuring accessible health records and continuity of care across healthcare facilities.
India reported more than two lakh new breast cancer cases in 2024, with an estimated one in every 29 women at risk of developing the disease. The Health Secretary underscored the critical role of early detection in improving treatment outcomes, noting that delayed diagnosis remains a concern despite growing awareness and available screening facilities.
Director General Postal Services Smt. Manisha Sinha highlighted the postal network's significance in carrying public messages to the last mile, noting that commemorative stamps serve as enduring instruments of public awareness. Additional Director General Dr. Pushp Lata emphasized that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India, accounting for more than 30% of all new cancer cases diagnosed among women. She noted that nearly one-third of breast cancer cases are preventable and another one-third can be cured if detected early, highlighting the establishment of Daycare Cancer Centres to improve access to chemotherapy.
The initiative leverages the extensive postal network to disseminate messages on breast cancer awareness, early detection, and preventive healthcare, with particular emphasis on self-examination and regular screening to improve outcomes for women combating the disease.