KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 – Phase 4 of Etiqa’s free cervical screening programme with ROSE Foundation was officially launched on May 4, 2024 by health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad at the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI), Kampung Batu 19 Jeram, in collaboration with NADI community outreach efforts.
Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh, R. Karunakaran, chairman of Etiqa International Holdings, and Prof Dr Woo Yin Ling, founder and trustee of ROSE Foundation, were also in attendance.
Continuing Etiqa’s commitment to work with the ROSE Foundation in eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia, Etiqa has committed a further RM1.2 million to provide free cervical screening to 5,700 eligible women aged 30 to 65 years from underserved and underprivileged communities.
The screenings will utilise ROSE Foundation’s internationally recognised Program ROSE (Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening), an innovative methodology that uses its own digital health registry to ensure timely result delivery to participants and linkage to care when necessary.
Having already funded over 20,000 screenings over the past five years, Etiqa’s focus for Phase 4 is to expand the screenings into Sabah and Sarawak, targeting remote locations to benefit harder-to-reach populations.
Since its inception in 2019, Etiqa’s Free Cervical Screening Programme with ROSE Foundation has identified over 200 pre-cancer cases resulting in timely follow-up care.
ROSE has engaged 38 hospitals nationwide for referrals, linking women with positive test results for appropriate care.
Program ROSE empowers women with the knowledge and tools to perform self-sampling cervical screenings, which are quick, simple, and painless using a swab for self-collection.
The samples undergo validated human papillomavirus (HPV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at the ROSE laboratory, with results communicated via SMS or Whatsapp within three weeks.
Positive cases are referred to government hospitals for follow-up and treatment as part of the programme’s unique linkage to care and comprehensive approach.
In addition to the screenings, the event also featured an educational talk and family-oriented activities to promote community health awareness.
“I would like to commend Etiqa and the ROSE Foundation for the collaboration that they have had with each other since 2019.
“It is an excellent example of a partnership between the public sector, private sector, and NGOs that benefits underprivileged women, and is also aligned with the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) initiative to eliminate cervical cancer in Malaysia.
“I urge for such collaborations to be further expanded and strengthened to place Malaysia on track to become the first country in the region to be free from cervical cancer,” said Dzukefly.
“The collaborative effort between Etiqa and ROSE in eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia should be emulated.
“Not only women are educated about the importance of cervical screening, but they are also taught how to take their own samples using a swab for ROSE HPV PCR test.
“I hope that many more women in Malaysia, especially those living in remote areas, will benefit from this programme,” said Yeoh.
“To everyone at the ROSE Foundation, we thank you for your commitment in Phases 1, 2, and 3 of the programme, and we look forward to making Phase 4 a success in protecting Malaysians from the risk of developing cervical cancer,” said Karunakaran.
“On behalf of ROSE Foundation, I express our gratitude to Etiqa for their unwavering support of Program ROSE. As we continue to screen women across Malaysia, our aim this year is to focus and provide greater reach to women across Sabah and Sarawak with the unified aim to accelerate cervical cancer elimination across Malaysia,” said Prof Woo.
Click here for more information about the Etiqa’s Free Cervical Screening Programme with ROSE Foundation, or email [email protected].
