Partnership with Tata Cancer Care Foundation reaches over 1 million beneficiaries
Pfizer today celebrated its partnership with the Tata Cancer Care Foundation (TCCF), that has reached more than one million beneficiaries across Assam, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha by strengthening cancer awareness, early detection and frontline healthcare capacity. The partnership has supported over 993,000 screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers, trained nearly 25,000 healthcare providers and strengthened community-based referral pathways to support earlier identification of suspected cancer cases and improve timely access to care.
To commemorate the milestone, Pfizer and TCCF convened a stakeholder conference in Guwahati, bringing together leaders from the government, public, private and development sectors to reflect on the impact and discuss opportunities 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, senior officials from the Health & Family Welfare Department, National Health Mission, Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society, Pfizer as well as State Nodal Officers for NCD, ASHA and the National Tobacco Control Programme.
Cancer remains a significant public health challenge in India, with over 1.4 million new cases reported in 2022 and nearly one in ten people at risk of developing cancer before the age of 75.i Assam continues to experience one of India’s highest cancer incidence rates, driven by a combination of 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, “Assam has made significant progress in creating a robust healthcare ecosystem with partners that complement the state’s vision for accessible and equitable healthcare. Cancer poses a major public health challenge, making awareness, early detection and timely intervention critical. 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, “Pfizer’s commitment to patients goes beyond the science that backs our breakthrough medicines. We consider it as much our responsibility to strengthen healthcare capacity at the community level in our country. 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.”
The Pfizer-TCCF partnership in Assam has:
- Reached over 350,000 people through community awareness initiatives, including community engagement programmes, educational institutions and community-based organisations.
- Conducted nearly 280,000 screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers, enabling 1,700+ referrals and facilitating the identification of ~350 confirmed cancer cases, supporting earlier diagnosis and timely access to care.
- Trained over 5,700 frontline healthcare professionals, including Community Health Officers (CHOs), Multi-Purpose Workers (MPWs), ASHAs, AYUSH practitioners, general practitioners and dentists, strengthening local capacity for cancer screening, referral and follow-up.
The partnership’s footprint across the country has so far:
- Reached over 1 million people through cancer awareness initiatives.
- Conducted more than 993,000 screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancers.
- Supported the identification of 690 confirmed cancer cases, enabling earlier diagnosis and access to appropriate care.
Dr. Kailash Sharma, Chief Advisor, Tata Cancer Care Foundation and Director, Assam Cancer Care Foundation, said, “Meaningful progress in cancer care begins long before treatment. The greatest opportunity to improve cancer outcomes lies in detecting disease earlier and ensuring people receive appropriate and timely care. 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.”
This milestone reflects the shared commitment of Pfizer, Tata Cancer Care Foundation, Assam Cancer Care Foundation and government partners to alleviate the burden of cancer care on individuals, state and the healthcare ecosystem. It continues to strengthen community-led cancer prevention, expanding access to early detection and building resilient health systems that improve cancer outcomes across India.
