KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has launched an initiative called “War on Cancer” to boost awareness of the disease.
Organised by the College of Physicians, Medicine Academy, Family Physicians Academy and the Science Academy, it aims to bring improvements by identifying gaps and overcoming them through synergistic collaboration among organisations involved in the fight against cancer.
It also aims to ensure that patients have fair and easy access to the best support and care.
She said the government was committed to preventing the spread of cancer among Malaysians under the Cancer Action Plan (2016-2020).
“Preventive measures have been taken, including giving vaccinations for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer,” she said at the launch, here, today.
“We encourage Malaysians to adopt a healthy lifestyle and go for cancer screenings.”
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the women, family and community development minister, said the National Population and Family Development Board under the ministry had helped to raise awareness of breast cancer and cervical cancer through subsidised mammogram screenings, pap smears and HPV vaccinations.
“From May 2007 to June this year, 380,217 women registered for subsidised mammogram screenings,” she said.
“A total of 347,540 mammogram screenings were conducted and breast cancer was detected in 565 women.”
At the event, physicians from Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Faculty of Medicine conducted pelvic abdominal or breast ultrasound, pap smear and faecal occult blood tests for women and pelvic abdominal ultrasound, prostate-specific antigen blood tests, and faecal occult blood tests for men.