Sikkim partners with top institutes for cancer research & prevention

BIJOY GURUNG

GANGTOK, : In a landmark step toward addressing one of Sikkim’s most pressing health challenges, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on Tuesday organized a high-level seminar on cancer research and prevention in hybrid mode at Tashiling Secretariat here.

This seminar was convened as directed by Chief Minister PS Golay to the State DST to bring together the best minds, research institutions and local stakeholders to address the growing threat of cancer to Sikkimese society.

The initiative aims to move beyond treatment by tackling cancer at its roots — through science, research, and evidence-based prevention tailored to Sikkim’s unique context. With cancer rates in Sikkim alarmingly high the urgency is clear, and recent studies have revealed that stomach cancer incidence among certain communities is among the highest in the country.

Every day, cancer touches our families, our friends, our communities — often at a young age, said Science & Technology minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha.

This seminar marks a bold shift: from treating illness to preventing it through localized, cutting-edge research, informed the DST.

The hybrid event brought together leading minds from the Department of Biotechnology (GoI), National Institute of BioMedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, Institute of Bioresources for Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal, Rajeev Gandhi Center for Biotechnology (RGCB), Trivandrum, National Center for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Regional Center for Biotechnology (RCB) Faridabad, Advanced Center for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) – Tata Memorial Hospital, Navi Mumbai, ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention Research (ICMR-NICPR), Noida, Health and Family Welfare department, STNM Hospital, and Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences.

Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India welcomed this move, getting scientists, policy makers and practitioners together by stating, “Sikkim has a tremendous potential as a model State to showcase how health care systems can work. It has a good leadership and committed bureaucracy”. He assured full support of the Government of India for this endeavour of the state government.

Health secretary Tenzing Kizom welcomed this initiative and the collaborative platform convened by DST to get to the crux of the issue and address it effectively.

The key takeaways from the meeting were:

Localized Strategy: Generalized national models fall short — Sikkim needs targeted cancer research rooted in its distinct population and environment.

Collaborative Inter-disciplinary Science: A first-of-its-kind platform now exists for sustained collaboration between state agencies and premier cancer research institutions.

Action Agenda: The State government is moving toward establishing a long-term Cancer Research and Prevention Framework.

Future Roadmap: A roadmap would be prepared in consultation with all the experts to chart out the short term, medium term and long term strategies.

This is Sikkim’s first coordinated cancer research initiative — a critical step in building a healthier, cancer-resilient future for all its citizens, informed the DST.