Berhampur: Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala Sunday flagged off the Cancer Awareness Cycle Rally from the premises of Gopalpur Army College.
Manisha, who was the chief guest at the programme organised by the Grameen Sneha Foundation, said, “Cancer is no longer a dreaded disease. The medical science has improved a lot and the disease can be cured hundred per cent but it should be detected at its early stage,” she said, adding there was no need to fear this disease.
Head of the National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, New Delhi, Prof G K Rath also attended the event. He said there has already been a vaccine to check different kinds of cancers among women. Any girl between nine and 26 years of age group can take this vaccine as a preventive measure.
Informing about the vaccine’s effectiveness, he said the vaccine is more effective if taken between nine and 14 years of age.
Brigadier R Srivastav and major P S Bhatia of Army AD College, director, Acharya Harihar Cancer research Centre Dr L Sarangi were also present at the event.
The rally will culminate at Pune in Maharashtra December 25 after covering a distance of 1,481 km in 24 days touching 14 districts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The Foundation sources said the rally is first of its kind in the state. When the rally passes through new regions, cyclists of those areas will join the rally.
PNN