The list of maladies, bugging both our body and mind, seems to be galloping in number and intensity with no signs of abating, outpacing the global efforts of researchers in the field of sickness care to find drugs and other remedial measures. Various agencies in different countries, in company of World Health Organisation are engaged in the task of keeping a vigil on the trends of diseases and disorders, endemic and universal, systematically generating comprehensive data and information followed by publication in a multitude of channels for maximum outreach to both governments of countries, research institutions and people at large creating awareness. The response from the various targets for dissemination of knowledge about causes and preventing the outbreak of diseases, many of them life-threatening and also contagious is dependent upon many factors, particularly budgetary provisions for healthcare of citizens of respective countries. The sprawling dark clouds of sickness in India has a silver lining as reflected by both government and private agencies establishing well-equipped hospitals in many cities across the country.

We are regularly being informed in reliable channels about the country being dubiously projected as the world’s hub of many diseases and disorders, highlighting diabetes, malaria, tuberculosis, cardiac afflictions and cancer, in their ascending order of debilitating the population. However, the advisory on avoiding inappropriate lifestyle and zealously safeguarding sanitary environment doesn’t seem to be heeded by large sections of the land’s masses.

While some diseases, apart from the aforementioned major ailments, are being faced by the country’s people at large with reasonable optimism, aided by facilities of health insurance, cashless hospitalisation, Jan Aushadh outlets offering medicines for 1,300 different ailments at discounted prices, the monarch of maladies as it were, cancer has descended on families like a bolt from the blue, the resulting devastation beyond the limits of facing the shock. As explained by a highly rated science writer, cancer is an uncontrolled growth and multiplication of cells in specific organs such as lung and intestines, which are damaged due to inborn (genetic) or external triggers such as smoking. Cancer cells, whose DNA (basic building matter in the form of an acid in the centre of the cells of living things, responsible for characteristics being passed on from parents to their off-springs) develop new physical characteristics due to such damage, go on a rampant growth leading to tumours, weakening the body and ultimately even death, the writer avers.

The heartening news is: With the advances made by the two awardees of Nobel Prize for medicine this year, it does appear that the rein of cancer may indeed come to an end sooner than later.