Intersectionality of cancer disparities in south Asia

Member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), home to over 2 billion people, carry a disproportionate cancer burden shaped by stark heterogeneity in risk, access, and outcomes. Beyond large proportions of people living in poverty in the context of frail infrastructure, inequities are compounded by intersecting identities, including gender, caste, religion, language, geography, and sexual or gender minority status. Commonly, women face delayed diagnosis amid low human papillomavirus vaccination and screening; rural communities confront distance and cost; Dalit, indigenous, and refugee groups experience structural exclusion; and language discordance and cultural beliefs impede timely care. Financial toxicity is pervasive, pushing households into poverty despite emerging insurance schemes. Drawing on targeted literature from SAARC countries, we argue for an intersectionality-informed agenda: strengthen registries and national cancer control programmes with disaggregated data; expand equitable financing and workforce deployment; embed cultural competence and bias mitigation in clinical training; and prioritise research that models intersecting risks. Implementing context-appropriate strategies will be essential for achieving equitable cancer control across the region.