How to make a strong Cervical Cancer free society?

My name is Bababai Rathod and I live in Adul Tanda village located in Paithan tehsil in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra. My husband and I work at the sugarcane field. Every year, we are away from our hometown for six months to work on the fields. This being our only source of livelihood, we are always on the move. It was just two months back that we returned to our village after working on the fields. One fine day, an ASHA worker came to our place and informed us about a women’s health checkup camp which was to be held in our village. She got our admission form filled and called us at the rural child care center wherein, the camp was being held. As advised by the ASHA worker, I attended the camp and underwent a checkup. I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer after which, the doctor advised to get myself admitted at the MGM Hospital for undergoing a cervical hysterectomy. I was skeptical of undergoing the surgery because of our financial condition. However, the doc...

I am grateful to the GeBBS Foundation for having given me an opportunity to work for the noble cause of women’s health in rural areas. The Sanjeevani Cancer Detection program is very well-organized. Cervical cancer happens to be one of the leading causes of death of women across the globe. Women are mostly affected due a lack of awareness and early detection. The initiative like the Clinic on Wheels undertaken by the GeBBS Foundation for women to fight cervical and breast cancer is highly commendable. I am sure that the initiatives like these will continue to benefit several women in the future too. The work done by the GeBBS Foundation is inspiring and provides a great platform for people like me who are passionate about social work.

My name is Vandanabai Gadekar and I live in Hanuman Nagar village located in Aurangabad tehsil in Maharashtra. A year back, following a relative’s advice, I attended a women’s health awareness camp in Kumbhephal, Aurangabad. However, I happened to ignore my health as I was pre-occupied with the responsibility of the education for my child. Despite having suffered for almost a year, I avoided seeking any help. I then attended the health awareness camp held by the GeBBS Foundation . This is when I was urged into taking my health seriously. The doctor at the camp advised me to come to MGM Hospital, Aurangabad for further tests. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I was admitted to the hospital. I then underwent a successful tumor removal surgery. The entire process happened in a span of eight days. The credit for my well-being goes to the volunteers at GeBBS Foundation and the doctors at MGM Hospital . They persistently followed up throughout my diagnosis, treat...

My name is Shantabai Devidas Thorat. I live in Manjari village located in Gangapur Taluka of Aurangabad. The region that we live in is prone to frequent droughts as a result of which, a lot of residents face harsh living conditions along with several financial problems. Because of such conditions that I lived in, I was trying to avoid seeking medical help, despite suffering for many years. One fine day, I was informed about a health checkup camp being held in our village by Bharti Jalinder Malkar. Bharti who happens to be an ASHA worker also got the enrolment form filled for me at the local government hospital. On the day of the health camp, I went to get myself tested along with the other women of the village. I was told to come to MGM Hospital, once I received my reports. After having shown my reports, I was admitted at the MGM hospital for my treatment for cervical cancer . I underwent a cervical hysterectomy and the subsequent treatment which was 100 % free. T...

We have heard for years that physical activity is important for your health.   Many people exercise to prevent heart disease. But did you know that exercise can also play a key role in preventing cancer – especially breast cancer ? Over a couple of dozen studies have shown that women who exercise, have a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of breast cancer than their less active counterparts. Exercise may lower cancer risk by helping control weight, controlling release of hormones like estrogen, and strengthen the immune system. Additionally, exercise can boost quality of life during cancer treatment. High estrogen levels in blood can lead to an increased risk for breast cancer. Exercise lowers blood estrogen, leading to a reduced breast-cancer risk. Exercise also reduces other cancer-growth factors such as insulin. Physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. However, this is more pronounced in post...

·          Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women in India ·          India is experiencing an increase in the cases of breast cancer in the age group of 30 to 50 and the same is likely to increase ·          Only 66.1% women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2014 could survive. India happens to have one of the lowest survival rates for breast cancer ·          One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, in India, every 4 minutes ·          India has a predominant young population and hence the number of women being diagnosed with breast cancer is only going to increase. In a nutshell, breast cancer cannot be prevented. If it has to happen, it will happen. However, the mortality due to breast cancer can definitely be reduced. This is p...

About one-third of the cases of cervical cancer across the globe are from India. A major cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV) infection which is a result of poor genital hygiene. The disease develops at a slow pace and most women tend to ignore the symptoms. It is only when it reaches its advanced stage, when their condition aggravates. Sadly, the treatment at this stage becomes difficult with low success rate. Cervical cancer is preventable if the disease is detected at an early stage and is treated on time. A Pap smear is very important to detect the HPV infection at an early stage and thereby, prevent cervical cancer. The Papanicolaou test or the Pap smear is a method of cervical screening used to detect potentially precancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix. I am extremely happy to see that GeBBS Foundation is actively championing this cause. It is heartening to see it supporting women’s empowerment and health with its efforts to erad...