This #WorldCancerDay we are sharing a little more about our support for both palliative and preventive cancer care.

We’ve funded palliative care projects in India for many years and see the huge challenges communities face when it comes to cancer; stigma, late diagnosis and access to treatment being some of them. Our partners at Emmanuel Hospital Association and Cachar Cancer Hospital focus their energy and empathy towards the patient and their whole family – equipping them with the skills and support they need to navigate their final days.

As our funding towards ecosystem restoration has increased, so too has our understanding of just how much our environment shapes and impacts our health and wellbeing – none more so than the ‘cocktail effect’: a build-up of endocrine disruptor chemicals in plastics, furniture, cosmetics, pesticides and food packaging. These interfere with the functioning of our hormone systems.

Research shows this daily exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals can increase a person’s risk of getting cancer.

We are supporting an alliance of scientists, lawyers, doctors, biologists and NGOs all working together to improve regulations around the use of harmful chemicals and awareness of ways to prevent exposure.

To find out more about how chemicals can interact with your body and affect your health, check out the following organisations: Pesticide Action Network UK, Breast Cancer UK, ChemTrust, ClientEarth.

Photo © Sunhil Sippy. The palliative care team at Emmanuel Hospital Association on a homecare visit in rural Uttar Pradesh.