1.Epidemiological risk profile of gallbladder cancer study in North, East and North-East India
Project Background:
India is a high incidence area for gallbladder cancer (GBC) and contributes to about 10% of the global GBC. Within India, the incidence is high in North, Northeast, Central and Eastern India. The Northeast is considered to be the gall bladder zones of India whereby the burden of new GBC cases were found to be high in Assam among the eight Northeastern states. Hypothesis were drawn with heavy metal exposures and excessive pesticides usage as the main reasons. Genetic susceptibility of the disease is also being highlighted in this study.
Project Objectives:
- Exploring the genetic susceptibility of gall bladder cancer in Northeast population.
- Exploring the gene and environmental interaction leading to carcinogenesis of gall bladder in the inflammatory pathway.
PI: Dr Eliza K Dutta, Assistant Professor, IIPHS and Early Career Fellow
Funding Agencies: India Alliance DBT-Wellcome Trust under Early Career Fellowship
Year: 2021
2.Effectiveness of Self Help Groups in preventing breast and tobacco related cancer; a quasi-experimental study
Project Background:
Cancer is a major health problem globally, including India. North-east India has unique socio-cultural, behavioural and lifestyle factors that differ from other states in the country. Factors such as high intake of tobacco and alcohol, consumption of high amounts of chili, smoked meat and fish, are associated with cancers. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, Meghalaya has the fourth highest number of current tobacco users (33.6%) in India. East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya reports the highest relative proportion of cancers associated with the use of tobacco in the country with 70.4% and 46.5% of males and females, respectively.
In this regard, community participation in health promotion through participatory learning and action (PLA) cycles involving self-help groups (SHGs) could potentially be an effective approach in enhancing cancer awareness at population-level through a knowledge cascade as the trained women from SHGs would, in turn, educate their family members in promoting health and reducing risk behaviours. This study, therefore, proposes to determine whether empowering and engaging the SHG women against cancer through PLA cycles could be more productive.
Project Objectives:
- To develop intervention for prevention of cancer using a participatory approach involving SHG women.
- Assess the effectiveness of the intervention in:
- Improving awareness about cancer and its prevention
- Re-enforcing health promotion
- Identify implementation-related barriers and facilitators for scaling up of the cancer-prevention intervention.
PI: Dr Melari Shisha Nongrum, Associate Professor, IIPHS.
Co PI: Dr Eliza Dutta, Assistant Professor, IIPHS.
Funding agencies: Indian Council For Medical Research (ICMR) – NCDIR
Year: 2023 – 2027