Vice Governor Alexis C. Castro (3rd from left), Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire (right), led the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with the theme "Babae, Mahalaga Ka!" at Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan on Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Photo from the official Facebook page of Vice Gov. Castro)
The Department of Health (DOH) has launched an intensified campaign to eliminate cervical cancer at the Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan on Thursday, May 23, as part of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with the theme "Babae, Mahalaga Ka!"
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire underscored the campaign's focus on counseling, screening, and treatment. She noted that the initiative aims to educate women about cervical cancer and its prevention.
As part of the campaign, cervical screening such as pap smears will be available in all rural health units for women aged 35 and above.
Vergeire revealed that based on statistics, 12 women die every day from cervical cancer in the Philippines.
Prior to the launching of the campaign, the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Governor Daniel R. Fernando and Vice Governor Alexis C. Castro, through the Provincial Health Office - Public Health, has launched a free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Anti-Cervical Cancer) to be given in rural health units to young girls, 9 to14 years old.
This effort aims to increase early detection and improve outcomes for those at risk.
In his message, Castro emphasized the importance of women's health. "Prevention is better than cure. Kung mape-prevent natin ang cervical cancer sa mga kababaihan, marami pong mga ospital ang luluwag at marami pong mga kababaihan ang maililigtas natin. Dahil minsan, kung kailan malala, doon po naghahabol. Pero kung lahat ng kababaihan ay mai-screen natin sa lalong madaling panahon, mas mainam, bago dumapo, mai-cure na agad natin.” (If we can screen all women, we can cure them immediately.")
His office has also initiated a program on the conduct of breast cancer screening.
"Sa pamamagitan ng opisina natin, nagkakaroon tayo ng breast cancer screening sa mga kababaihan. At maganda po ngayon, dahil bukod sa breast cancer, meron na ding cervical cancer screening. Talagang lahat ay matutulungan natin ang mga kababaihan upang maiwasan ang sakit na cancer," (We have breast cancer screening for women. And it's good now, because apart from breast cancer, there is also cervical cancer screening," Castro added.