public health governance failure

GALLBLADDER CANCER IN THE GANGETIC BELT

Gallbladder cancer has emerged as a silent epidemic in India’s Gangetic belt, driven by polluted water, food contamination, poverty and gender inequality. It disproportionately affects rural women, often detected late with high treatment costs and poor survival. Weak surveillance, non-notifiability of cancer and ineffective environmental governance keep the crisis invisible. Addressing it requires pollution control, gender-sensitive screening, clean water access, stronger cancer reporting systems and integrated health–environment policy action.