"We can't and will not let that continue": Biden announces programme to train Indo-Pacific doctors combat cervical cancer

He made the announcement at the Cancer Moonshot event in Wilmington, Delaware, his hometown, held on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.

"Next year, doctors and nurses from the US Navy will begin a programme to train Indo-Pacific counterparts in conducting cervical cancer screening and vaccination. So we can reach every woman in the region...Today America, Australia, India and Japan choose to fight for every patient asking for one more day, one more week, one more year," Biden said.

President Bidend accompanied Quad leaders PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida to the Cancer Moonshot event.

The US President stressed the need for screening and vaccination of cervical cancer that claims lives of 150,000 women in the Indo-Pacific region.

"We can't and will not let that continue. Every year, 150,000 women die from cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific. We can't and will not let that continue. The four of us are proud democracies. We're coming together to deliver a better hope, more hope for our people. In practice, the Quad Cancer Moonshot means more collaboration between our hospitals, research centres and cancer foundations," Biden said.

"More investment in screenings, treatment and research and more exchanges between our countries to improve vaccination rates all across the region...I'm proud to announce that our four countries, the leaders behind me and many organizations here today are committing over $150 million for HPV screening and therapeutics," he added.

The Cancer Moonshot is a White House initiative to bring renewed leadership to the fight against cancer, facilitate new collaborations, and drive progress across the cancer journey utilizing all facets of the oncology community - federal agencies and departments, private companies, healthcare providers, patient groups, philanthropies, and all Americans.

The Cancer Moonshot has spurred tremendous action across the federal government and from the public and private sectors, building a strong foundation for the work ahead. To date, the Cancer Moonshot has announced more than 95 new programs, policies, and resources to address five priority actions. 170 private companies, non-profits, academic institutions, and patient groups have also stepped up with new actions and collaborations.

The US Embassy in New Delhi facilitated the first ever US-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue on August 5-6 at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi and hosted by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The dialogue focused attention on cancer, strengthening US-India biomedical research cooperation, and jointly developing solutions to improve the health and well-being of the global community. (ANI)