By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Sept 30: The Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development’s (KPWKM) ‘Program KASIH Keluarga: Gempur Saringan Kanser Serviks Sarawak’ aims to eliminate cervical cancer in Sarawak by 2030, says its minister Dato Sri Nancy Shukri.
Nancy said that the programme is to be implemented in Sarawak as the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report indicated that the State has recorded the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer, which is 9.6 cases per 100,000 women every year.
“In 2023, 53,000 women nationwide were targeted to undergo the human papillomavirus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test. From the beginning of the year until August, 22,784 women have come forward to undergo this test. It means that we have reached 43 per cent of the target.
“Of the 22,784 women examined, 1,214 cases were confirmed positive for HPV, 17 cases were confirmed as pre-cancer cases that needed further investigation, and one case was confirmed as positive cancer case,” she said during the ‘Program KASIH Keluarga: Gempur Saringan Kanser Serviks Sarawak’ at Wima Sabati today.
She said for Sarawak, KPWKM has targeted 12,000 women to undergo the test.
“So far, Sarawak has recorded 240 HPV-positive cases, one pre-cancer case, and zero cancer-positive cases,” she shared.
On the programme, Nancy added that it is attempting to reach 1,000 or more women to undergo HPV DNA test screening on a large scale to be recorded in The Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR).
“I hope that our pioneering efforts with the Sarawak Health Department (JKNS) will be able to benefit women in this State,” she shared.
Nancy said the programme is a working collaboration of the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) under KPWKM and the Sarawak Health Department (JKNS) to increase awareness of the importance of early screening to detect cervical cancer so that preventive measures and appropriate treatment can be done accordingly.
“HPV DNA screening could be done at all LPPKN Nur Sejahtera Clinics (KNS) for free until December 2023,” she said. — DayakDaily
