It has been 46 years since the launch of cancer control programs in India and yet the recent National Family Health Survey (fifth round, 2019-2021) has reported that just 1.9% of women aged 30-49 years have ever undergone cervical cancer screening. The cost of delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer and its treatment is overwhelming, and the rural population takes the worst hit. It is the need of the hour that the Indian health system and policymakers identify the barriers and facilitators for cervical cancer early detection and provide pragmatic solutions so that the targets of cervical cancer elimination can be achieved in a timely manner. K E Y W O R D Scost, coverage, early detection, screening, uterine cervix 45 years, 90% of women diagnosed with cervical disease (precancer and invasive cervical cancer) receive treatment by 2030. A lifecourse approach, which includes human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening, has been endorsed for achieving these targets. 7See editorial on pages 4052-4 and referenced review articles on pages 4063-73 and 4074-84, this issue.

It has been over four decades since the launch of the National Cancer Control Programme in India, yet the cancer screening rates for oral cancer remain unremarkable. Moreover, India is bracing a large burden of oral cancer with poor survival rates. An effective public health programme implementation relies on a multitude of factors related to cost-effective evidence-based interventions, the healthcare delivery system, public health human resource management, community behaviour, partnership with stakeholders, identifying opportunities and political commitment. In this context, we discuss the various challenges in the early detection of oral premalignant and malignant lesions and potential solutions.

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