Index of Cancer Preparedness | 20 Apr 2019

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has created the Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP).

  • It draws on a wide range of data relevant to cancer policy and control from 28 countries.
  • The aims of the ICP are to allow benchmarking of national efforts and identify best practice in addressing the cancer challenge.

Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP)

  • Australia tops the ICP, followed by the Netherlands and Germany. Saudi Arabia, Romania, and Egypt face at the bottom in Index.
  • The ICP explores the issue of cancer preparedness through three broad domains:
    • policy and planning;
    • care delivery;
    • health systems and governance.
  • Four essentials of cancer preparedness:
    • essential investment (appropriate spending and resources),
    • roadmap (effective planning),
    • foundation (functioning health systems),
    • intelligence (availability and quality of cancer-related data).

Cancer

  • Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases characterized by the growth of abnormal cells beyond their usual boundaries that can then invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs.
  • Other common terms used for cancer are malignant tumors and neoplasms.
  • Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and is estimated to account for 9.6 million death in 2018.
  • World Cancer Day is observed on 4th February every year.

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

  • The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), created in 1946, is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence.

India and ICP

  • India's overall rank is 19th with a score of 64.9.
  • India ranks 17th in cancer policy and planning, but it has a relatively high score of 80.8.
  • India’s score largely stems from its strong cancer research and tobacco control measures.
    • It ranked first for research and third for tobacco control in ICP.
  • India ranks 23rd for its national cancer control plan.
  • With a score of 40.3, India’s healthcare system ranks 25th in the index, above only Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Egypt.
  • India’s healthcare infrastructure is the second worst among the index countries.
  • In its delivery of cancer care, India ranks 20th with a score of 61.3.
    • India has a high standard of clinical guidelines, a category in which it is ranked first.
    • India falls short on immunization, screening and early detection.