Vidya Balan appointed as the National Ambassador for a campaign for early cancer detection

Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, News 18 Network today announced the appointment of Bollywood actress Vidya Balan as the national ambassador for the second phase of the ‘Sanjeevani: United Against Cancer’ programme with Tata Trusts as knowledge partners. 

The campaign #TimeNikaaleinScreenKarein,which has been launched under the programme, gets off the ground in September with a public service message by Ms. Balan. She urges both men and women to take time out and screen for Cancer. The campaign aims to bring attitudinal and behavioral shift towards early screening by addressing effective partnerships and promoting learning and community engagement. 

Cancer is the second most common cause of mortality worldwide, usually being detected much after its first onset. However, testing for cancer well in advance is an efficient method to prevent cancer, early diagnosis, and improved treatment. Being a prominent figure of Indian cinema, and her connect with the diverse audience of the country, Vidya Balan’s strong presence in the campaign will take the messaging around early testing, tumour management and system recognition to far and wide in the country. 

Speaking about the collaboration, Bollywood actor Vidya Balan said, “Screening is an essential component for detecting cancer before symptoms appear, allowing for timely and better health outcomes. Through this programme, I hope to use my voice to reach out to the citizens of the nation sparking conversations around dissipating myths, misconceptions and attitudes towards cancer screening and for the adoption of preventive health behaviour.”

Speaking on the initiative, Mr MVS Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer, Federal Bank said, “At Federal Bank, we work on building deep relationships with our customers. These relationships are further strengthened by our active participation in long-term initiatives to improve the quality of living. Sanjeevani is Federal Hormis Memorial Foundation’s flagship initiative, that has strapped itself with multiple partners for an uphill climb. We believe that constant stoking of knowledge leads to action, periodic action to an individual’s betterment and a collective of individuals uplifts the society to deservingly lead a good quality a life. The Foundation works at various levels including patient support, encouraging early testing, corporate and residential programs to enable screening, and, awareness building initiatives. 

The onus is on us to test regularly, detect early and push back the inevitability, just in case.”

Deepshikha Goel Surendran, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Tata Trusts, commented, “As pioneers in cancer care, it has been our endeavor to encourage early detection through regular screening and to empower patients and caregivers. We are optimistic that this message of #TimeNikaaleinScreenKarein will resonate with both rural and urban audiences, not only positively impacting but also potentially saving lives.”

Sidharth Saini, COO, News 18 Studios said, “With a growing population and the rising number of cancer cases, the need for regular screenings has never been more urgent and important. We are grateful to have Vidya Balan as the brand ambassador for the campaign. With her presence and intervention, we aim to make conversations around cancer screening personal, heartfelt and stigma free, like a caring nudge from someone you trust. It’s not just information, but relatable advice that speaks to everyday people, making it easy to connect with and act on. 

Federal Hormis Memorial Foundation, last year, helped us support over 3,000 patients in Assam and Tirupati, conduct screenings for more than 1,700 employees from 30 major corporations, and get over 55,000 individuals to pledge for regular health checkups. This year, with the continued support of The Federal Hormis Memorial Foundation, we will improve our coverage by hosting more screening camps and building awareness for Cancer Screening. As the largest news network in the country, our reach is a small contribution to ensure more people make screening a part of their annual health check-ups."

Watch the '#TimeNikaaleinScreenKarein’ short film here.

For more details on Sanjeevani - United Against Cancer, click here.