In a startling revelation, GOQii, a smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare company powered by blockchain-based Universal Health Token (UHT) has unveiled its 2024 Cancer Report, exposing a shocking and pervasive crisis: an overwhelming fear of cancer grips more than 60% of the Indian population. Titled “Living in Fear: The Hidden Epidemic of Cancer Anxiety Among the Public,” the report reveals a nation consumed by dread, where the specter of cancer looms large over every demographic, transcending age, gender, and socio-economic barriers. 

The GOQii Cancer Report 2024 is based on a comprehensive survey of over 1,250 individuals and insights from a user base of more than 5 million on GOQii’s Smart Health Ecosystem app and presents an unsettling picture.

Despite growing awareness about cancer, a staggering 70% of respondents admitted they had not undergone any form of cancer screening in the past five years, highlighting a dangerous gap in proactive health management. This report calls for urgent public health interventions to bridge this gap and provide greater access to preventive care, especially in underserved regions of India. 

Financial Fear Driving Chronic Stress and Anxiety

For many Indians, cancer anxiety is not just a fear of the disease itself but a terror of the devastating financial toll it could have on their families. A significant 33% of respondents expressed deep concern over the crippling financial burden a cancer diagnosis could impose. The costs of treatment—spanning diagnostics, surgery, chemotherapy, and long-term medication—are often prohibitive, threatening to push families into financial ruin. This financial fear is a significant driver of the chronic stress and anxiety pervasive across the country.

Internationally recognized nutritionist, author, and holistic lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho is Head Nutritionist and Master Coach at GOQii, which is integrating the blockchain-based token UHT to provide targeted, incentivized, and preventative healthcare to users to reduce their risk of contracting life-threatening diseases such as cancer and combat chronic conditions like stress and anxiety.

He comments, “Cancer comes with the weight of fear, but knowledge, science, lifestyle medicine, and epigenetics integrated with honest allopathic medicine, early screening, and detection can change all of that …now is the time to awaken and make the change with faith, belief, action, and science.” 

Vishal Gondal, Founder & CEO of GOQii, stressed the critical need to address this hidden epidemic:

“Cancer fear and anxiety is for real, and it’s affecting millions of people across India in ways that go beyond physical health. People are living in constant fear of not only the disease but also the potential financial and emotional toll it could take on them and their loved ones. This report serves as a wake-up call. We need to shift our focus to prevention, early detection, and providing people with the right tools and resources to manage both their health and their anxiety. We need to change the way they think about health and fitness and incentivize good habits that help reduce the threat of preventable diseases and the burden of chronic conditions.” 

The integration of UHT into the GOQii app is designed to help people do exactly that—and take charge of their healthcare journeys through immersive fitness experiences that turn their goals into challenges and monetize their achievements.

Users can earn UHT tokens as rewards by participating in fitness exercises and wellness challenges, tracking their progress, recording symptoms, and registering for preventative appointments, such as cancer screenings.

Certified professionals offer their expertise through token exchanges, while health marketplaces provide exclusive discounts on events, NFTs, and healthcare products and services, helping people stay fitter and healthier for longer and ensuring they undergo vital cancer screening appointments in time. 

Many Indians Believe Cancer Is a Death Sentence

The GOQii report also sheds light on the paralyzing fear of death that haunts many Indians, with 24% of respondents fearing cancer as an inevitable death sentence. This fear is exacerbated by the late detection of cancer, often due to inadequate screening and delayed diagnosis, leading to a perception of cancer as an incurable, terminal illness. The report calls for a drastic overhaul of India’s healthcare infrastructure to prioritize early detection and ensure equitable access to cancer treatment, particularly in rural areas where healthcare resources are severely limited.

Environmental and lifestyle factors are also at the heart of cancer anxiety. Over half of the respondents (56%) are alarmed by the risks posed by pollution, radiation, and other environmental carcinogens, while 27.6% attribute their anxiety to poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking and unhealthy diets. Despite these concerns, many are not taking the necessary preventive steps that could significantly lower their cancer risk. 

Rajashree Menon’s – CBO Digital Health GOQii, says, “The GOQii Health Ecosystem supports cancer patients by integrating preventive care with treatment, screening, and post-treatment rehabilitation. We aim to reduce the anxiety of a cancer diagnosis by empowering patients throughout their journey, providing seamless care that enhances confidence and improves outcomes.” 

Going Beyond the Statistics

The GOQii Cancer Report 2024 goes beyond mere statistics, delving into the psychological turmoil experienced by millions living under the constant shadow of cancer fear. Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression are rampant, with the report advocating for the integration of mental health support into cancer care programs. Providing psychological counseling and stress management resources is crucial to alleviating the mental burden borne by those haunted by the fear of cancer.

Through UHT, GOQii seeks to empower people to gain control over their health and well-being and alleviate the fears of contracting life-threatening diseases like cancer. With a data-centric approach, users gain deep insights and valuable analysis to enhance their well-being and live a more fulfilling and healthier life.

“The Universal Health Token helps alleviate cancer anxiety by encouraging preventive care. By rewarding healthy behaviors and regular screenings, we aim to reduce the fear and burden associated with cancer,” says Agasta Samat, Director of Force of Good Foundation.

In closing, the 2024 GOQii Cancer Report sounds like a clarion call for urgent and comprehensive action. The pervasive fear of cancer has ensnared millions, creating a profound psychological, financial, and social burden. Through robust public health strategies, enhanced access to preventive care, and the integration of mental health support into cancer care, India can begin to unravel the unseen epidemic of cancer anxiety that is silently eroding the well-being of its people. 

About GOQii

Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, GOQii is empowering consumers globally to lead healthier and better lives. GOQii’s smart-tech-enabled healthcare platform brings together the entire preventive healthcare ecosystem. Its Smart Health Ecosystem integrates tools for real-time personalized coaching, scheduling health check-ups, a health locker, and a unique ‘GOQii Cash’ program where healthy behavior is rewarded with discounts.

As one of the official partners of the ‘Fit India Movement’ GOQii is a strong supporter of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s vision of making 130 crore Indians fit and healthy. GOQii counts marquee investors like Animoca Brands, Mitsui, Megadelta, DSG Consumer Partners, Galaxy Digital, Denlow Investment Trust, Edelweiss, Cheetah Mobile, GWC, Mr. Ratan Tata, and Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Modality, one of the leading GP chains in the UK, is also an investor in GOQii as well as the JV partner. 

Force of Good Foundation

Force of Good Foundation (FoG) is built on the fundamental principles of transforming healthy living into a rewarding journey for individuals while simultaneously addressing one of the world’s most pressing future challenges: declining health. Leading a healthy lifestyle has gone from a trend followed by the minority to one that is a “must-follow”.

Increasing levels of awareness and spending potential make preventive healthcare an attractive opportunity across the globe. UHT envisions a world where preventative healthcare is incentivized to tackle one of the world’s most significant health crises. 

The post Cancer Fear Grips India: Leading Preventative Healthcare App GOQii Reveals Over 60% of Population Lives in Extreme Fear of the Deadly Disease appeared first on Blockonomi.