LABUAN, Jan 22 – Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Nancy Shukri launched the Program Kembara Kasih KPWKM – Gempur Saringan HPV DNA, an awareness campaign for cervical cancer screening last Saturday, in conjunction with National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2024 at Desa Tunas Hijau in Labuan.
January is World Cervical Cancer Awareness month, which is celebrated all over the world. It is aimed at raising awareness and educating the public about the importance of vaccination and screening to prevent cervical cancer, as well as to show public support for cervical cancer survivors.
KPWKM through the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) has introduced an awareness on reproductive cancers among women campaign known as WCaRe to promote early screening cancer programmes, including the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme (HP/DNA testing) and the Subsidised Mammogram Programme.
The ministry aims to benefit 57,000 women in 2024 through the WCaRe programme.
The Cervical Cancer Screening Programme administered by LPPKN is one of the ministry’s initiatives to encourage women to undergo cervical cancer screening through HPV/DNA testing.
The programme is also aimed at increasing awareness about cervical health among women and the importance of early detection of cervical cancer.
LPPKN runs 50 Nur Sejahtera clinics throughout the country and three of them are in Sabah.
The Nur Sejahtera clinics in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan are already operational and the clinic in Tawau will begin operating on February 1, 2024.
In private hospitals, HPV/DNA testing costs from RM300 to RM500 for each test.
As part of its Kembara KASIH programme, last Saturday during the launch of the event, 500 women in Labuan were screened for cervical cancer through HPV/DNA testing for free.
The Cervical Care Awareness Month celebration in Labuan was a symbolic start for the ministry’s cervical cancer screening tour and its plans to eliminate cervical cancer in the Federal Territory.
Other programmes organised that day include the Culture Fun Walk – Unity in Diversity Against Cervical Cancer, a quiz activity, educational exhibition, and registration of participants for KPWKM’s Skuad Waja programme.
