Page 24 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026 VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026
A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

water-borne diseases, vector-borne infections, Community-based cancer care has been
malnutrition and mental health problems. strengthened through the Community Outreach
Climate change is also reshaping infectious disease Programme (COP), which operates across all 35
patterns. Rising temperatures and altered rainfall districts of Assam and provides home-based
create favourable conditions for disease vectors, palliative and nursing care. ACCF also supports
increasing the risk of malaria, dengue, chikungunya, economically vulnerable patients through
Japanese encephalitis and other climate-sensitive CSR initiatives, including transportation and
infections. Simultaneously, higher temperatures, accommodation assistance. Advanced diagnostic
industrial emissions and fossil fuel combustion and treatment facilities such as CT, MRI, LINAC
worsen air quality, contributing to respiratory and brachytherapy have been decentralized
illnesses, cardiovascular disease, stroke, adverse across centres, reducing long-distance travel and
pregnancy outcomes and premature mortality. minimizing treatment interruptions. Its hub-and-
An emerging concern is the relationship between spoke network further enables patients to continue
climate change and cancer. While climate change treatment or follow-up at alternate ACCF centres
is not a direct carcinogen, it amplifies exposure to when access to a particular facility is disrupted.
environmental risk factors. Air pollution increases The latest Lancet Countdown warns that climate-
exposure to carcinogenic pollutants, while related health indicators have reached record
extreme weather events may contaminate water levels globally. Climate change affects not only
sources with industrial chemicals, heavy metals heat stress and infectious diseases but also
and agricultural pollutants. Increased ultraviolet nutrition, mental health, healthcare infrastructure
radiation exposure may further elevate certain and non-communicable diseases, acting as a
cancer risks. multiplier of existing vulnerabilities and health
Equally significant is the impact on cancer care inequities.
delivery. Floods, landslides and other climate- Addressing this challenge requires strengthening
related disasters can disrupt transportation, climate-resilient health systems, enhancing
delay diagnosis, interrupt treatment schedules disease surveillance, expanding early warning
and restrict access to specialized oncology mechanisms, reducing air pollution, promoting
services. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, clean energy and investing in preventive healthcare.
radiotherapy, surgery or long-term follow-up, The ACCF experience demonstrates how resilient
treatment interruptions may adversely affect infrastructure, decentralized services, community
outcomes. This challenge is particularly relevant outreach and patient support mechanisms can
in India, which reports over 1.5 million new cancer safeguard cancer care in an era of increasing
cases annually. The North-East, already bearing climate uncertainty.
one of the highest burdens of head and neck Climate change is no longer a distant
cancers in the country, is especially vulnerable to environmental concern—it is a present-day
such disruptions. public health emergency. For India, particularly
Recognizing these challenges, the Assam the ecologically sensitive North-East, climate
Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) has developed a action is an investment in health, resilience and
distributed and climate-resilient model of cancer long-term human well-being. Building healthcare
care. ACCF centres are being established with systems capable of withstanding climate-related
advanced infrastructure and integrated disaster challenges will be essential to ensuring equitable
preparedness, including earthquake-resilient and uninterrupted care for future generations.
construction using base isolator technology
compliant with Seismic Zone V and NDMA
guidelines.

24 25