Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of new cancer cases and cancer-related deaths among women in India, with an estimated 96,922 new cases and 60,078 deaths each year. (ICCP,2020) India bears over a tenth of the global burden of cancers, with preventable cancers like cervical, oral and breast cancer forming more than a third of the disease burden.(Ferlay, 2015).

Currently, early diagnosis via low cost screening methods play the biggest role in curbing the burden of disease. The screening methods employed are colposcopy examination and routine pap smears every 5 years. However, both screening methods, while effective in identifying the disease, require skilled clinicians and laboratories with appropriate set-ups.

One method to circumvent this problem of low screening rates is to train rural local women to carry out Visual Inspection of cervix with Acetic acid (VIA) as a primary method of screening, as it is a low cost method of screening which does not require much laboratory facilities.

The aim is to scale up the current rate of screening of cervical cancer and subsequently decrease the case fatality rate of cervical cancer in Indian villages. This will be done by training Female health care workers and rural health practitioners to carry out Visual inspection of the Cervix.

Overall, a lot is left to be done to help improve the burden of cancer in India, but the best route is to start with harmony of Public and private sector and prioritization of cancer care in India.

There is also a need to improve connectivity between rural and urban areas to facilitate shunting of cancer patients for tertiary care. Coordination with Ministries of urban development, transportation and infrastructure developers is necessary to ensure this.