In a star-studded evening, full of real stars who had made an impact at the grassroots level to people’s lives, our NGO, Kindness Practice Foundation, won the Maharashtra Ratna award, for our work in mental health and cancer. Both these conditions are silent academics globally and in India, the numbers are rising dramatically. 

Some data below: 

1. As per ICMR, by next year, 30 million Indians will get cancer¹. 
2. Over than 60% of the Indian population is gripped by a fear of cancer². 
3. 70% of respondents admitted they had not undergone any form of cancer screening in the past five years³. 
4. Cancer diagnosis is one of the factors that leads to suicides.⁴ 
5. Cancer patients are at risk of several comorbid conditions, including nutritional issues and mental health illnesses.⁵
6. As per an ICICI Lombard survey, the maximum number of people impacted with mental health issues is the 52% of the Indian population of Millennials and Gen Z. 

Through our cancer awareness camps and early detection drives, we help people who cannot afford early detection understand the importance of regular screening for cancer. Early diagnosis means better clinical outcomes. In mental health, the foundation found a unique way to create ongoing support via its online digital platform Unhurry.in that puts out clinical research on coping techniques for mental health and malnutrition. As part of utilising digital India platforms as encouraged by the Government of India, this particular platform was conceptualised to impact and reach more people in a lesser time. Since inception, we have impacted 27,000+ lives due to this initiative. People who otherwise don’t like to talk about mental health issues but in an anonymous mode online, follow the posts which provide coping techniques to help them live through their daily struggles with positivity. Our team works on a daily basis to find research that can help them and support them in their mental health. This is a unique way to approach but it is the one way that the Millennials and Gen Z respond and feel that they are being helped and heard and we are able to cover large numbers. If you are one of them, you can get support and help which is clinically safe, while following advice provided on Unhurry.in.

1 ICMR 

2 GOQI 

3 General Psychiatry Suicide Trends 24 year data 

4 The Importance of Nutritional Status Evaluation in Cancer Care. International journal of environmental research and public health 

5 Association between Malnutrition and Depression in Patients with Cancer: The Importance of Nutritional Status Evaluation in Cancer Care. International journal of environmental research and public health

6 Implementation of Early Detection Services for Cancer in India, Journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center, 27(1), 1073274820960471.

Strong Mind, Healthy Body for CISF