MANILA, Philippines, March 5 ------ As part of its intensified efforts to combat cervical cancer, the Department of Health (DOH) has announced a plan to screen one million women for the disease this year.
Since May last year, the DOH has intensified efforts to expand cervical cancer screening coverage in collaboration with local government units, hospitals and civil society organizations through its Cervical Cancer Elimination campaign. As a result, the number of women availing of cervical cancer screening services has significantly increased – from 146,122 to 242,783.
Two weeks ago, around 150 public school teachers in Cavite benefited from the DOH’s free cervical and breast cancer screening services. The initiative aims to empower women to take control of their health while promoting health education and cancer awareness within schools and local communities. The health department also stressed the significance of early vaccination in preventing cervical cancer, saying that girls aged 9 to 14 are the primary recipients of the vaccine.
In coordination with the Department of Education, the DOH administered HPV vaccines to 540,461 Grade 4 female students last year under the “Bakuna Eskwela” program and confirmed its commitment to continuing the vaccination efforts this year while expanding coverage to young girls in private schools nationwide. According to the health agency, 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 the growing burden of these diseases, cervical cancer screening rates remain alarmingly low, with less than one percent of eligible women currently screened,” it said.
In 2024, the DOH allocated P55 million for cervical cancer screening and P77 million for breast cancer screening.
Source: philstar.com
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