Pfizer India and the Tata Cancer Care Foundation (TCCF) have reached more than one million beneficiaries through their collaborative cancer awareness and early detection programme spanning Assam, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.

The initiative has supported more than 993,000 screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers, trained nearly 25,000 healthcare providers, and strengthened community-based referral systems to facilitate early identification of suspected cancer cases and timely access to treatment.

To mark the milestone, Pfizer and TCCF organised a stakeholder conference in Guwahati, bringing together representatives from government, healthcare, industry and development organisations to review the programme's impact and explore ways to further strengthen community-led cancer prevention and early detection. 

The event was attended by Dr. Siddharth Singh, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Medical Education and Research Department, Government of Assam, along with senior officials from the Health & Family Welfare Department, National Health Mission, Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society, Pfizer and state health programmes.

India reported more than 1.4 million new cancer cases in 2022, with nearly one in ten people estimated to be at risk of developing cancer before the age of 75. Assam continues to record one of the country's highest cancer incidence rates, largely attributed to tobacco use, lifestyle factors and regional risk patterns.

Dr. Siddharth Singh, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Medical Education and Research Department, Government of Assam and Director, Assam Cancer Care Foundation, said, "I am grateful that the collaboration between the Government of Assam, Tata Cancer Care Foundation and Pfizer has helped expand the reach of preventive healthcare and community-based interventions. We appreciate this commitment and look forward to building on these efforts to improve health outcomes for the people of Assam."

Meenakshi Nevatia, Country President, Pfizer India, said, "By integrating awareness, screening, capacity building and referral pathways into public health systems, public-private collaboration can strengthen cancer prevention, enable early detection and support better health outcomes across communities. We thank the Government of Assam, Tata Cancer Care Foundation and all our partners who are working with us towards this cause and together, we have been able to reach 1 million beneficiaries."

Dr. Kailash Sharma, Chief Advisor, Tata Cancer Care Foundation and Director, Assam Cancer Care Foundation, said, "Over these years, our partnership with Pfizer has strengthened community awareness, expanded screening and built local healthcare capacity across multiple states. Together, we have demonstrated how community-led, collaborative models can improve access to cancer care and create lasting public health impact."