Wellness on Wheels

Sankara Healthcare Foundation is dedicated to enhancing healthcare accessibility for women in rural India through our innovative "Wellness on Wheels" (WOW) program. This mobile health unit travels deep into villages, providing essential wellness screenings, particularly focusing on cervical and breast cancer detection.

In many rural areas, women face significant challenges accessing healthcare facilities, leading to delayed diagnoses and treatments. The WOW program addresses this gap by bringing comprehensive health screenings directly to their communities, ensuring early detection and improved health outcomes.

• ● New Cases: Upwards of 232,000 cases are reported every year. An Indian woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes.
• ● Age Disparity: Nearly 48% of breast cancer patients in India are under the age of 50. The disease disproportionately affects younger women (25–40 years old) compared to global trends.
• ● Mortality Rate: Despite a lower overall incidence rate compared to the US, India has one of the highest absolute breast cancer mortality rates globally, with over 98,000 deaths annually.

• ● Urban vs. Rural: Incidence is heavily skewed toward urban and metropolitan areas. Urban rates can reach up to 41 cases per 100,000 women (Delhi), whereas rural rates may drop to 5 cases per 100,000.
• ● Top Incidences: Age-adjusted rates (per 100,000 women) are highest in Delhi (41.0), Chennai (37.9), and Bangalore (34.4).

• ● Late-Stage Presentation: More than 50% of Indian women are diagnosed at late stages (Stages III and IV).
• ● 5-Year Survival Rate: The overall rate hovers around 60–66%, primarily dragged down by delayed diagnoses and limited screening access.
• ● Early Detection Advantage: Localized early detection achieves 5-year survival rates upwards of 80%.
• ● Data tracked and published by the ICMR – National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research.