Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
The Department of Health on Monday urged women to get screened for cervical cancer, which kills more than 12 women daily and is the second leading cancer-related cause of death among Filipino women.
鈥淭he tragedy of cervical cancer deaths is that this cancer is preventable and treatable. In fact, in developed countries, cervical cancer is much less common because screening and vaccination are well聽聽 established,鈥� said Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial.
鈥淥ur 聽goal 聽now 聽in 聽the Philippines 聽is 聽to 聽institutionalize 聽HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) immunization 聽and screening 聽so 聽that 聽our 聽precious 聽women 聽will 聽no聽聽 longer聽聽 die聽聽 of聽聽 cervical聽聽 cancer,鈥� she added.
In observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this May, the Department of Health (DOH) offers free cervical screenings using the VIA (visual inspection using acetic acid) method for women aged 25 to 55 years at selected DOH hospitals nationwide.
鈥淲ith regular screening, women will know if there are changes in their cervix due to HPV infection, which may eventually progress into cancer,鈥� Ubial explained.
According to her, nearly 100 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV or Human Papilloma Virus.
鈥淚t is unfortunate that everyday more than 12 women die from this disease, primarily because they are detected late and were not given early protection,鈥� she said.
As part of its National Cancer Prevention and Control Program, the DOH spearheads this year鈥檚 commemoration of Cervical聽 Cancer Consciousness Month with the theme 鈥淏abae, Mahalaga Ka! Magpa-Screen鈥� NOW Na!鈥� (Woman, You Are Priceless! Get Screened鈥t Once!).
Under the campaign聽聽 against聽聽 cervical聽聽 cancer,聽聽 which聽聽 is聽聽 now聽聽 on聽聽 its聽聽 9th聽 year,聽聽 the聽聽 DOH聽聽 urges聽聽 women聽聽 to be educated on HPV-related diseases, encouraging them to undergo early and regular screening as well as get themselves protected through HPV immunization.
Furthermore, as part of its plan to curb the burden of this preventable disease in the country, the DOH announced the expansion of its HPV immunization program to include more provinces, in order to increase the number of beneficiaries聽聽 (9-year-old聽聽 Grade聽聽 IV聽聽 girls聽聽 in聽聽 public聽 schools)聽聽 of聽聽 its聽 free quadrivalent HPV vaccines 鈥� vaccine that protects against the four strains of HPV.
Based on DOH data, every year, more than 6,000 Filipinas are diagnosed with cervical cancer and the disease is usually detected late because the affected women may have no obvious early signs and symptoms.
鈥淭he mortality rate of cervical cancer is high if detected late. However, fewer than half of these patients are still alive five years after their diagnosis. Usually, these patients are between 35 and 55 years of age鈥搚oung聽聽 women聽聽 who聽聽 are often breadwinners in their families, as well as caretakers of the children and the elderly. This makes the effects of this cancer truly catastrophic,鈥� the DOH said./ac