Mumbai: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Saturday said the Centre has envisaged to run awareness campaigns in schools to sensitise students about cancer at an early age.
"Government's strategy is consistent and planning to introduce awareness campaigns at school level to with a motive to sensitise them on the perils of tobacco consumption at a young age," Nadda said.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony, he appealed to the youngsters to be more interactive with public and policy makers so that the right inputs are made available for planning and implementation.
Referring to communicable disease scenario, he said, "India has a largest successfully run public health programme in the world. What we need to understand is to feel the positive aspect of our efforts."
"Our ministry has been very serious in overcoming cancer. We are strategising to detect it at early stage," he added.
The health minister's statement comes in the wake of recent controversial remark made by BJP MP Deepak Gandhi who said there was no evidence linking tobacco with cancer.
Nadda also praised the efforts of TMC in developing National Cancer Grid to provide better facilities to patients and said the government would like to synergise with it.
He said government is working on 58 medical colleges which are being upgraded and trying to provide them cancer treatment facility.
Maharashtra Health Minister Vinod Tawade on the occasion also advocated to educate people on dangers of tobacco consumption in order to prevent cancer.
"When our colleague say that tobacco does not causes cancer (referring to Dilip Gandhi's remarks), it shows the level of awareness of the cancer in our country," he said.
