The Quad Alliance on Saturday launched a significant global initiative to combat cancer.Under the newly introduced Quad, Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the four countries—India, the United States, Australia, and Japan—aim to expand cervical cancer screening, boost vaccinations against human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer, and enhance treatment for patients.Unveiled by US President Joe Biden during the Quad Leaders Summit, the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative will initially target cervical cancer, a disease described by the White House as “a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the Indo-Pacific region.” The program will also set the stage for addressing other types of cancer in the future.Focused on advancing cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, the Quad initiative seeks to reduce the disease’s impact on patients and families. The program will prioritize HPV vaccination, improve access to cancer screenings, and enhance treatment and care in under-resourced regions.During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that India is developing an AI-driven treatment protocol for cancer. He praised President Biden’s initiative, stating that it would “go a long way in providing affordable, accessible, and quality health care to people in Indo-Pacific countries”.According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi committed a “grant of 7.5 million US dollars to cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region” as India’s contribution to the program.Modi also declared that India will promote radiation therapy and capacity building for cancer prevention in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the MEA statement.He added that 40 million vaccination shots will be supplied by India to the Indo-Pacific region as part of the GAVI and QUAD initiatives.Additionally, India will provide interested nations in the Indo-Pacific area with technical support on DPI for cancer screening, care, and treatment through its 10 million US dollars donation to the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative on Digital Health.According to the release, cervical cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific area. It is “preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early.” In the Indo-Pacific region, “fewer than one in ten women” have received all recommended HPV vaccinations, and “fewer than 10%” have had a recent screening.It notes the inequalities in healthcare facilities, stressing that “many countries in the region face challenges related to healthcare access, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates.”The initiative builds the Biden-Harris administration’s dedication to eradicating cancer. Aiming to improve the lives of those affected by cancer and cut the country’s cancer death rate by at least half by 2047 (i.e., preventing over 4 million cancer deaths), President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced the Cancer Moonshot more than two years ago.Through the initiative, Quad partners, “intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region.”As per the release, they will also, “work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.”
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