KUCHING: Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah hopes to see at least a 50 percent decrease in cervical cancer cases in the coming year.
“I was told in Sarawak General Hospital alone, there have been 120 new cases reported since early this year. It’s a surprising number,” she said during the Pink & Teal Empow Her launching here yesterday.
Fatimah said it was a good awareness campaign that the club had come up with for society as an early stage prevention of the disease.
“In Malaysia, cervical cancer is the top two most common cancer in women, but we are lucky enough that there are still agencies that are willing to help in preventing this disease by organising such events.”
Meanwhile, Pink & Teal founder and president Dr Abigail Jerip said more than 85 percent of women were at risk, and “we are really concerned about those in the rural areas.”
“We pity them. They are limited in prevention due to transportation and expenses limitations, and therefore, with help from the society, with every kit purchased, we will donate one kit to an underprivileged woman aligned with the mission Sigek kitak, sigek kamek or in English ‘One for you, one for me’.”
Dr Abigail also added that the kit is priced at RM150 and “is worth so much more when you purchase as it helps the people and in return, help the society.”
The Pink & Teal is the first statewide do-it-yourself cervical screening campaign whilea women’s marathon aims to raise funds to help needy people, especially those in the rural areas, in early cervical cancer prevention.
