KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 – Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women in Malaysia. In fact, studies have shown that one in every 144 women between the ages of 30 to 75 is at risk of getting cervical cancer.
While cervical cancer is often treatable when detected early, some may fall prey to the disease due to lack of awareness or delayed action.
With January being Cervical Cancer Awareness month, Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) is embarking on a month-long campaign, “Together, Let’s Eliminate Cervical Cancer #SJMCHPV”, in order to boost efforts to educate Malaysian women on the importance of early detection, treatment and prevention through vaccination.
Lending her support to a cause close to her heart is TV personality and digital content creator Daphne Iking, a mother of four who firmly believes in the power of knowledge when it comes to preventing cervical cancer. She is vaccinating her daughters with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine from a young age as protection against the disease.
“I believe that spreading the word on the disease to help women of all ages protect themselves can have far-reaching impact in curbing cervical cancer in Malaysia. Many may avoid speaking about this disease due to the stigma associated to it, so I am beyond thrilled to be able to work with SJMC on this campaign and hope to make a difference in saving a life,” Iking said.
As part of its campaign, SJMC will also be partnering with aspiring local artist Malar Sinnadurai, founder of The Children’s Art Studio, to design exclusive T-shirts featuring a teal ribbon to represent cervical cancer and the tagline “We Can Fight This”. With every purchase, SJMC will donate RM10 to Rumah Ozanam, a home for young girls.
“Our aim is to keep creating public awareness on cervical cancer, risk factors and critical role played by the HPV vaccine, so together, we can eventually eliminate the disease. While this will not happen overnight, initiatives like this campaign can lead to more women becoming aware of the virus which can lie dormant for years,” SJMC chief executive officer Trish Hogan said.
“By empowering women with information, they can choose to get vaccinated or screened in order to protect themselves against the disease,” Hogan added.
The public can find more information on the disease and symptoms as well as screening and vaccination on the SJMC website
The hospital is also running a social media contest for three weeks from January 1, 2022. For every tag and “like” for #SJMCHPV, you will be in the running to win one complimentary package of HPV vaccination and other merchandise.
In addition, there will be other giveaways during the campaign, including complimentary manicure vouchers and custom-made limited edition hand-crafted teal ribbon earrings that come together with a white and teal merchant tote bag. The specially designed t-shirts are also available for purchase.
More details on the “Together, Let’s Eliminate Cervical Cancer #SJMCHPV” campaign are available on the SJMC website and its Facebook page.
