Aizawl: Mizoram has recorded the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in India, with Aizawl district registering an age-adjusted cancer incidence of 269.4 cases per one lakh men, according to state health officials.
Officials from the Health and Family Welfare Department said stomach and lung cancers account for a large share of cases in the state, attributing the trend primarily to high tobacco and betel nut consumption, dietary patterns, lifestyle factors and genetic predisposition.
In response to the growing health burden, the state government has stepped up efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure.
Mizoram has signed an Externally Aided Project loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank for a programme titled “Supporting Public Health Care System Strengthening to Achieve Universal Healthcare for Mizoram”, popularly known as the Mizoram Universal Healthcare Scheme (MUHCS).
Officials also said the World Bank-funded Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project is nearing completion and is expected to close by March 2026.
As part of these initiatives, the Mizoram State Super Speciality Cancer and Research Centre is being established in Aizawl under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Addressing a public function in Aizawl on Saturday, Health and Family Welfare Minister Lalrinpuii described the state’s cancer burden as alarming, noting that Mizoram records one of the highest incidence rates in the country relative to its population.
She said even the Director of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai — where many Mizo patients seek treatment — had remarked on the unusually high number of cancer cases from the state.
The minister said experts link the high cancer prevalence to widespread tobacco use, unhealthy diets, including high consumption of smoked meat, pork fat and oils, and lifestyle-related risk factors.
Referring to women’s health, she noted that breast cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women, followed by cervical cancer, and pointed out that nearly all cervical cancer cases are linked to Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
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She urged eligible 14-year-old girls to avail themselves of the free HPV vaccination programme, calling it a critical preventive measure.
Mizoram Chief Secretary Khilli Ram Meena, speaking at the same event, said one in every five cervical cancer patients globally is from India.
He described the free vaccination drive for adolescent girls as a timely and vital public health intervention, particularly for a state like Mizoram, which also records one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the country while screening coverage among women remains low.
He expressed hope that the initiative would save lives, strengthen families and contribute to the state’s long-term development.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the nationwide HPV Vaccination Campaign for 14-year-old girls to prevent cervical cancer.
The programme was rolled out virtually across all states and union territories from Ajmer, marking a major national push towards cancer prevention and women’s health.
