A proposal to the Health Ministry has been sent by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation to consider incorporating World’s First Mobile App on Breast Health Government of India’s Health portal for empowering people on a larger scale all over the country.

Taking forward the initiative, actor Amitabh Bachchan launched the World’s FIRST mobile App on ‘ABC of Breast Health’ at an event organised by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation in Mumbai recently. Both iOs & Android versions of the App which are available in Apple and Google Play Store for free download, aims to empower the nation about every aspect of Breast cancer & Benign non cancer Breast health issues in 12 Languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya & Assamese).

The proposal to incorporate breast health app conceived, created and designed by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation in 12 languages in Government of India’s health portal is under consideration, and in the fullness of time, I am confident that people across the Nation would be empowered about every aspect of Breast Health (Breast cancer and Benign non cancer Breast Health issues), thus filling a huge void in the delivery of Breast Health Care in India, said Dr. P. Raghu Ram, Padma Shri awardee, chief executive officer and director of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation.

Whilst highlighting salient points relating to this Mobile App, Dr. P. Raghu Ram said, “I was inspired by PM Narendra Modi’s Digital India campaign, which was launched in July 2015 a couple of months after being conferred the Padma award. Over the past one and half years, I have been working with missionary zeal to fulfill my vision of making available this World's FIRST landmark App using Digital Media, which has been transcribed in all the commonly spoken Indian languages in simple ‘easy to understand’ format. There is a specific section on ‘Myths & Facts’ that aims to demystify the common misconceptions relating to various Breast health issues, which would be sent on a daily basis to those who download the App. In addition, the App gives unrestricted access to all issues of PINK CONNEXION – South Asia’s First quarterly Breast health Newsletter published by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and a couple of Breast cancer awareness films made by the Foundation.”

Pamela Yash Chopra, Patron of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and a breast cancer ‘conqueror’, said, “My message to men is that instead of gifting a Sari or jewelry to your loved ones during festivals, please gift a Screening mammogram once a year to your Spouse, which would go a long way in saving many lives through early detection”.

Dharini, a 29-year old lady from Hyderabad narrated a moving account of dealing with Breast cancer affecting both her breasts soon after she got married at the age of 24. She brought out eloquently that with grit and fierce determination, she triumphed in the face of adversity. She expressed gratitude to Dr. Raghu Ram for his excellent counseling skills, and equally, for performed bilateral breast conserving surgery (without removing the breasts) with excellent aesthetic outcome, which has been vital for her to lead a normal life with confidence.

Mukta Chindalia, a 50 year old lady from Hyderabad who survived breast cancer affecting her not just once, but twice in the same breast, emphasized that she could not have won the war against breast cancer without the excellent counseling skills and care provided to her by Dr. Raghu Ram. She felt that Counseling must become part and parcel of Medical curriculum in India & doctors must spend more time with patients suffering through life threatening disease such as cancer, which is very important to prepare the mind, giving the much needed confidence to tackle the disease head on without losing hope.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Government of Telangana and Chief Advisor of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation outlined the unique initiatives undertaken by the not for profit Breast cancer Charity based out of Hyderabad. He applauded Dr. Raghu Ram for championing a one of its kind Breast cancer advocacy movement in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and paid rich tributes to the doctor’s role in implementing South Asia’s largest population based Breast Cancer Screening Programme in the Telugu States, which has become a benchmark initiative for the Govt. of India, which is now being replicated all over India.

K Padmanabhaiah, a Padma Bhushan awardee, Former Union Home Secretary and currently, Chairman, Administrative Staff College of India pointed out that there is an urgent need for doctors working in cancer care in India to contribute part of their time and energies towards cancer advocacy, which is in its infancy. This he said, would in turn create more awareness, ensure early detection and help reduce the burden of advanced cancers in our Country.

With 150,000 new cases being diagnosed every year, the incidence of Breast Cancer has overtaken Cervical Cancer to become the most common cancer affecting women in India.  With the singular aim of ensuring early detection of breast cancer amongst underprivileged women and to find an ‘Indian solution’ that would hopefully save scores of lives, particularly in rural India, under the auspices of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation, Dr. Raghu Ram has been overseeing the implementation of South Asia’s largest population based Breast Cancer Screening Programme. Since 2012, well over 200,000 underprivileged women between the ages of 35 – 65 years spread across 4,000 villages in 15 Districts of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh have been screened for early signs of breast cancer by way of Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) performed by 3,750 trained Health care workers working for the Government. Breast cancers detected through this initiative are being treated FREE of cost through the State Government funded Aarogyasri scheme. This large scale initiative has served as a benchmark Screening Programme for the entire Country & other nations in the Indian Subcontinent.