The Department of Health (DOH) has announced plans to screen one million women for cervical cancer this year as part of its intensified efforts to combat the disease.
Since May last year, the DOH has expanded cervical cancer screening in partnership with local government units, hospitals, and civil society organizations through its Cervical Cancer Elimination campaign.
This initiative has significantly increased the number of women availing of screening services, from 146,122 to 242,783 women who underwent testing.
Recently, around 150 public school teachers in Cavite benefited from the DOH’s free cervical and breast cancer screenings.
The program aims to empower women to prioritize their health while fostering awareness in schools and communities.
The DOH also emphasized the importance of early vaccination in preventing cervical cancer, with girls aged 9 to 14 as the primary recipients.
Under the “Bakuna Eskwela” program, 540,461 Grade 4 female students received HPV vaccines last year, and the initiative will continue in 2024 with expanded coverage for private school students.
Cervical cancer remains the third most common cancer among Filipino women, while breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country.
Despite this, screening rates remain low, with fewer than one percent of eligible women currently screened.
To address the issue, the DOH has allocated P55 million for cervical cancer screening and P77 million for breast cancer screening in 2024.
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