Programme

Cancer Awareness Campaign at Christ Junior College in collaboration with Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology from 10 -15 August 2015

Let’s Make a Difference

 Our Fight against Cancer: The Context

Cancer is the second most common disease in India responsible for maximum mortality in the country. In Karnataka, there are nearly 50,000 cancer cases every year and the total number of cases at any given time is around 1,37,889. As per the estimates of national cancer registry, one in twelve people in the State are prone to cancer. These statistics have made policy makers in the State to take note of the magnitude of the problem and as a result the Government of Karnataka has recently made it a notified disease and, henceforth, it is binding on all doctors across the state to report to Karnataka Cancer Control Committee to facilitate better planning of treatment, prevention policies and research on cancer. However, the moot issue is public participation to support policy makers and the Government in its fight against cancer.

The key to fight against cancer is early detection and treatment. It is imperative to help people to recognize the early signs and symptoms of cancer to enable them to seek help. As per research, more than thirty percent of cancer cases could be prevented by modifying lifestyle or avoiding key risk factors. Therefore, youth constitute a significant component of the target group for awareness programmes. The awareness programmes targeted at youth generally focus on promoting protective behaviours and reducing harmful exposures. Promoting protective behavior includes promoting healthy food and doing sufficient physical activity; whereas reducing harmful exposures often stress on quitting smoking, use of tobacco in other forms, underage drinking and avoiding exposures to certain chemicals and radiations.

Student community constitutes a significant component of youth. Therefore, educational institutions have an important role to play in the fight against cancer. Students are also an important link in spreading awareness to other sections of the society because of their youthful inquisitiveness and enthusiasm. It is the recognition of this responsibility that has motivated Christ Junior College to associate itself with Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, one of the leading cancer Institutes of our country for its cancer awareness campaign.

 Programme Description

The theme of the Awareness Campaign is Healthy Youth for Healthy India. The campaign will run on six complementary tracks: Talks by Oncologists from Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a large scale Exhibition at Christ Junior College, Exclusive Competitions for Students, Students’ Visits to Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Audio-Visual Screening and Street Plays by Christ Junior College Theatre Groups in different parts of the city on Independence Day. The awareness campaign will focus on cause, prevention, treatment and palliation of cancer.

The campaign will commence at Christ Junior College on 10 August 2015 with competitions for students such as Essay Writing on ‘Role of Youth for a Cancer-free India’, a Quiz on Cancer, a Poster Making Competition and a Photography Competition on ‘Hope’.

The Fourteenth and Fifteenth of August will be an open house at Christ Junior College for Public Awareness Campaign. Students will be encouraged to bring friends and family members for the same. The exhibition will be open to the public; doctors from Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will take questions from the public during formal function and later in smaller groups. These questions could be on any aspects of cancer care. The street plays already mentioned above will also be done during the public exhibition and later at different certain identified venues in the city.