In the ocassion of World Cancer Day on February 4, Milann, a subsidiary of HCG Cancer Hospital, Bengaluru, come together for the digital campaign #PledgeToPreserveFertility to #CloseTheCareGap to raise awareness amongst people diagnosed with cancer. The purpose of the campaign is to educate people so that they can make informed choices to preserve their fertility before they begin cancer treatments.
Dr Vishal Rao, Country Director - Head Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery at HCG Cancer Centre Bengaluru, who is also spearheading the digital campaign said, "In the global fight against cancer, there is an urgent need to define targets and timelines to address and close the care gaps. One such significant and neglected aspect is fertility and cancer. Many people are unable to effectively access adequate care to fertility, even when the infrastructure and expertise exist. This is the “equity gap” – and it is costing lives. These initiatives taken by HCG and Milaan will play a key role in addressing the inequality in access to fertility care that exists between populations and areas and will go a long way in ensuring radical healthcare transformations at the community level."
Dr Kamini A Rao, a Padma Shri awardee and Founder and Chief Mentor of Milann said, “We are glad to be associated with HCG for the campaign and spread awareness amongst people. We understand the power of working together for the cause and educating people about the life-threatening disease and being able to help them in understanding the issue in a better way”.
Through #PledgeToPreserveFertility campaign, Milann aims to educate and spread awareness about preserving fertility amongst cancer patients who are undergoing cancer treatments. In light of World Cancer Day’s theme of closing the care gap, Milann will also offer patients diagnosed with cancer the benefit of the first year of cryopreservation free.
The campaign is built on three pillars – Educate: spread awareness around the fertility preservation process before starting with cancer treatments, Enquire: ask patients to address the issue with their Oncologist and a fertility expert before they begin the treatment, and lastly Guide: where cancer patients or their families can visit the Milann website and get all relevant resources related to fertility preservation before the cancer treatment.