Daily Toll of Women’s Cancer in Punjab-Haryana-Himachal Spurs Major Public Health Push

New Parliament data laid bare on 4 February 2026 paints a stark and troubling picture of cancer’s grip on women across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 31,792 women lost their lives to cancer in these three northern states, an average of about 17 deaths every single day,  according to figures shared by the Union Health Ministry in the Rajya Sabha, based on the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) under the National Cancer Registry Programme.

What stands out most sharply is the overwhelming dominance of breast cancer, which accounted for approximately 56 % of these fatalities, making it the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the region. Haryana reported the highest number of deaths (14,696) followed by Punjab (13,299) and Himachal Pradesh (3,797). Fatalities from other women’s cancers, cervical and ovarian, also trended upwards over the five years.

The mortality figures echo rising new cancer incidences, with breast cancer cases climbing in all three states, notably by 5.2 % in Haryana over the period. Health experts, including oncologists and public health specialists, have stressed that early detection and strengthening of primary care infrastructure are critical to reversing this trajectory.

In response, the government told Parliament it is rapidly expanding cancer care infrastructure under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD). This includes the rollout of 297 new district day-care cancer centres for 2025-26, on top of existing NCD clinics and specialised cancer institutes, intended to decentralise care and bring vital diagnostic and treatment services closer to patients.

The numbers underscore an urgent public health challenge, one that demands robust screening, awareness, and accessible treatment if India’s women are to stand a better chance in the battle against cancer.