In a vast, multi-ethnic, multi-religious country like India, it is to be expected that we have several world-views operating at the same time in people's search for health and healing.

In the last decade, several international and national movements have focused their attention, on the long neglected areas of women's reproductive health.

Cancer of the cervix is the most prevalent form of cancer in developing countries, and accounts for 25 to 50 per cent of all cancers occurring in Indian women.

There is a growing recognition that gynaecological morbidity is an important health problem among poor women in India.