LUNDU: Women are encouraged to take advantage of free breast and cervical cancer screenings at the Nur Sejahtera clinics under the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN).
Federal Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri pointed out that the recently approved Mini Budget 2023 included RM5.75 million for the implementation of mammography and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA tests.
Through LPPKN, she said her ministry is entrusted to meet the worldwide target of a zero incidence of cervical cancer by the year 2070.
Therefore, she stated that it is hoped that the Women’s Reproductive Cancer Awareness Campaign (WCaRE) will raise awareness of the importance of early screening to detect breast cancer and cervical cancer so that appropriate preventative and treatment measures can be implemented accordingly for those in need.
“In addition to this awareness campaign, LPPKN has the expertise and facilities to conduct mammogram tests for breast cancer detection and HPV DNA tests for cervical cancer.
“The Ministry through LPPKN also provides targeted subsidies for these two tests for those who qualify, especially the B40 group.
“An outreach programme was also implemented which was coordinated through the State LPPKN Office to ensure that the WCaRe Campaign was widely covered and as many people as possible benefited from it,” she said.
when officiating at the WCaRe 2023 at Dewan Mahligai Lundu here yesterday (Jan 29).
On the same note, Nancy who is also the Santubong MP, said the HPV DNA Screening programme will be conducted together with Sarawak LPPKN and State Health department this year which will enable more women to receive benefits, especially among women at risk in rural areas throughout the state.
To note, breast cancer is the primary cancer that kills women in Malaysia, accounting for 34.1 per cent of all female cancer deaths, or 34.1 cases per 100,000 females.
Since 2007, Nancy noted that LPPKN has implemented mammography testing, and by the end of the previous year, LPPKN had examined 463,417 qualifying women with mammograms in total.
Of the total, 70,808 women in Sarawak have had mammograms through the LPPKN; 7,512 of these cases have been categorised as needing additional research to do follow-up exams, and a total of 80 cases have been confirmed as having breast cancer.
“We have three Nur Sejahtera clinics in Miri, Sibu, and Kuching; go to the one that is closest to you. You can also get involved in an outreach programmes just like today’s,” she added.
Meanwhile, in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the family’s well-being from an economic and social standpoint, Nancy had also visited a respondent household of the Family Wellbeing Index (IKK) at Kampung Sileng Melayu here earlier.
Also present were the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development chief secretary Dr. Maziah Che Yusoff, LPPKN director-general Abdul Shukur Abdullah, Kuching resident Fathi Hambali, Lundu District Officer Gustian Durani and Pemanca Benjamin Gersit Jais.
