During the one-month campaign, 6,000 women were expected to join free early detections of cervical cancer throughout the capital city, Dr Laila Nuranna, a gynecologist of the University of Indonesia (UI) said here on Saturday.
The women could get free visual inspection with acetic acid for cervical cancer screening at 34 service centers including in 25 community health centers (Puskesmas), she said.
The campaign was officially kicked off last Thursday (Dec 22) at Jagakarsa community health center, which was also attended by Presidential Special Envoy for MDGs concurrently Chairperson of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) Nila Moeloek.
The free check-up services are also available at the YKI offices at Menteng, Sunter and Lebal Bulus, as well as at six branches of Budi Kemuliaan Hospitals.
Dr Laila explained that the the campaign was part of the efforts to provide free screenings to 1.4 million Indonesian women by 2017.
Cervical cancer could be prevented by vaccination, education, and secondary prevention through early detections.
According to some reports, the cervical cancer is often called a developing country disease because 80 percent of people suffering from the disease live in developing nations.
In Indonesia alone, about 270 thousand women die of cervical cancer annually.
Cervical cancer in Indonesia is the number one killer among so many types of cancers, and the second most prevalent cancer among women aged between 20 to 55 years old.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, and therefore prevention should be a top priority for all women.
To reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer, women are advised among other things to practice safe sex because HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus; limit the number of sexual partners for having multiple sexual partners increases the risk of being infected with HPV; get a regular Pap smear that can detect abnormal cervical changes long before they become cancerous; and get HPV vaccination.
(Uu.F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
