Dr. Worthing Yanglem from Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Shillong has won the Best Paper (Poster) Award in the Faculty Group at the 70th Annual National Conference of the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), held from March 13–15, 2026, at Katuri Medical College and Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
The award-winning poster paper, titled “Self-Help Groups as Platforms for Cancer Prevention: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study in Rural Meghalaya, India” was co-authored with Dr. Melari Shisha Nongrum and Dr. Eliza Dutta from IIPH Shillong.
The study showcased bottom-up Self-Help Group (SHG)-led interventions in 10 Ri Bhoi district villages, reaching 634 participants. It boosted cancer awareness, reduced stigma, promoted breast self-exams and ignited tobacco cessation through community-driven events. This breakthrough establishes SHGs as a proven, powerful model for rural health revolutions, lighting the path for Northeast India’s future.