LUNDU, Sept 7 — Women aged 35 to 65 who are still sexually active are encouraged to undergo early cervical cancer screening to help reduce infection rates and prevent premature deaths.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said early detection is crucial, as the disease can still be treated and cured if identified at an early stage.
“The ministry continues to intensify efforts to raise awareness of women’s health, particularly cervical cancer, through nationwide screening programmes and education campaigns.
“We are continuously implementing these programmes while seeking additional budget allocations to expand access to rural areas through the mobile screening initiative, which allows residents to perform self-screening similar to a DIY COVID-19 test,” she said.
She said this after attending the Jelajah Madani Rakyat programme, held in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations, at the Pusat Latihan Kenegaraan Sampadi today.
Nancy said that since her ministry launched the human papillomavirus (HPV) self-screening programme at the end of 2023, Sarawak has recorded the highest participation rate so far.
“However, the response in several other states remains low, despite better access, particularly in urban areas,” she added.
“This indicates that awareness is still lacking. Therefore, it is important for us to encourage women to make use of the facilities that have been provided,” she said.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, from 2019 to 2024, a total of 45,313 women in Sarawak have undergone HPV screening tests, while nationwide, 162,581 women have participated in the screening. — Bernama
