Malaysia comes short of WHO target rate in cervical screening
Malaysia has only managed to achieve a rate of 12.9 % in terms of cervical screening, which is way below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target of 70%, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“The lifetime risk of a Malaysian woman to develop cervical cancer is 1 in 116. Only 24% of Malaysian women were diagnosed at the early stage (Stage 1), while 76% were diagnosed at later stages (Stage 2, 3 & 4), “ Dr Wan Azizah said, adding that cervical cancer is the third most common cancer (7.7%) among women in Malaysia, after breast cancer (32.1%) and colorectal cancer (10.7%t).
The screening of cervical cancer through the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) DNA test conducted under the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) would benefit 14,000 women from the low income (B40) households this year, she said.
“Early prevention is the answer to stopping this disease in its tracks,” she said during the launching the ‘Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening (R.O.S.E) Programme.
The initiative, which is an innovation by the University of Malaya (UM) and VCS Foundation of Australia to establish a not-for-profit joint venture to implement a cervical screening programme in Malaysia, ensures safety, privacy and dignity through self-sampling, encouraging more women to willingly participate in the screening in a timely manner.
Dr Wan Azizah said the online registry enables tracking of the progress of every woman screened, including details about each screening episode and the healthcare facility.
“This provides a much welcomed safety net to ensure women are screened at recommended intervals and perform their follow-ups accordingly, thus enhancing each woman’s personal journey of maintaining good cervical health,” she said.
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