Some years ago, I was invited by the Friendship University of Punjab to talk about environmental pollution and its effect on health. We assembled somewhere on the campus, and the place was packed. In follow-up discussions it became clear: the topic was of interest because of the growing rate of cancer and neurological diseases affecting Punjabis.
During staff meetings I learned about the underlying, growing concern. Punjab, India, is widely considered the “cancer capital” of the country, with incidence rates significantly higher than the national average. Data from the Indian Council of Medical Research indicated that the Malwa region, particularly districts like Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, and Ferozepur, had and still have the highest prevalence of cancer.










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