Assessment of Tobacco Habits Prevalence and Tobacco Induced Oral Precancers in Tribal Habitations of SPSR Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh

map of Andhra Pradesh region of India

Assessment of Tobacco Habits Prevalence and Tobacco Induced Oral Precancers in Tribal Habitations of SPSR Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh

Location: Andhra Pradesh
Target Group: Under-served
Status: Future
Project details: 

Tobacco Habits are highly prevalent both in their chewable forms and smoking forms amongst these vulnerable population of tribals. Many tribals use snuff powder in their mouth for alleviating dental pain apart from the commercial varieties like jarda, gutkha, khaini, mawwa, mishri, bajjar etc. and various smoking varieties like beedi, chutta, cigarette, hookah, reverse smoking etc. Most of these people are very poor and resort to tobacco as a way of suppressing their hunger and to overcome fatigue of monotonous and extremely laborious jobs. Patients belonging to these categories are seen by us in the hospital when they have already developed advanced stages of oral cancers. Most of them are illiterate and try to resort to home remedies before they come to hospitals for treatment.

Target group: 

Tribal habitations.  We hope to educate these people about tobacco, its ill effects and make them aware of the adverse effects of tobacco and detect oral precancers in their earlier stages which will help in their being effectively treated and prevent oral cancers which are very high in this region,  instead of the usual palliative treatment reserved for the advanced stages of malignancies. We hope that this drive will also help in achieving tobacco cessation to a large extent in these populations and help them achieve better quality of life.

Financial details: 
  1. For preparation of IEC Material in local language:  pamphlets, posters, videos Approximately: 30,000=00 INR
  2. Transportation of Doctors & Healthcare workers to the various locations    Approximately: 400,000=00 INR
  3. Remuneration for Healthcare workers Approx.: 200,000=00 INR
  4. Documentation of findings from Case-History, Clinical Examination   Approximately: 200,000=00 INR
  5. Carrying out Toluidine Blue staining for clinical assessment of dysplasia Approximately: 20,000=00 INR
  6. Counseling of Patients for Tobacco Cessation
  7. Refreshments for Doctors & Healthcare workers Approx.: 200,000=00 INR

Total Approximate Cost of the Project= 1,050,000=00 INR [approx £12,000]

Project status: 

Presently in the planning stage being planned by Department of Oral Medicine along with District Medical Health Officer, District Epidemiology Officer SPSR Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh.

The duration of the project is 2 years.