Sixty women, some of them survivors of breast cancer, will drive from Delhi to Agra spreading awareness about the disease that kills 40,000 women in India every year. The car rally, which will see doctors, health and community activists accompany the women, will begin here Oct 2.

'Nearly 100,000 women get affected by the disease every year in India, of whom around 40,000 die due to lack of awareness and late diagnosis. This effort is to create awareness about the disease among women in small towns,' Ramesh Sarin, founder chairperson of the Forum for Breast Cancer Protection, told IANS.

Sarin, who is also a senior doctor, said 10 of the 60 women who will go to Agra are those who contracted breast cancer at some point of their lives but were treated completely. One woman is coming all the way from Gujarat only for this rally.

'These women think that women can reduce the burden of this disease by becoming aware of their own health and this rally will try to teach simple techniques to go for self breast checkups,' she said.

The rally will start from Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti and will end at Agra. The rally is a Time Speed Distance (TSD) event that comprises a set of instructions specifying a route to travel, and a speed at which to travel. The teams will be marked on how close to the correct time they arrive.

Sarin said after reaching Agra, doctors will treat patients in 10 camps with the support of local NGOs. 'There will be at least 10 free camps for both treatment and checkups in Agra. Doctors who will go from here will render their services free.'

More car rallies will be organised later to travel to other cities like Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur and Lucknow.

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