KUCHING: The Sarawak government has set a target to make the state free of cervical cancer by 2030.

Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Prof. Dr. Sim Kui Hian said the main goal was to emphasise the importance of prevention and management of the disease, rather than just building more cancer hospitals.

"Cervical cancer is the first type of cancer that can be eradicated and this is an investment that will benefit the community regardless of young and old age to improve the well-being of life," he said.

He added that the establishment of a cervical cancer laboratory in Sarawak will be the main platform to implement the screening process widely at the state level.

"This is because Sarawak is in the second highest in cervical cancer incident reports, and we need people to undergo tests so that early treatment can be done thus preventing an increase in cases," he said.

He said this to the media after officiating the launch of the HPV Programme - Leaving No One Behind, on Saturday.

The programme is an innovative collaboration between the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and the ROSE Foundation to eliminate cervical cancer among women aged 30 to 65 in Malaysia with a special focus on the state of Sarawak.

Earlier, LIAM handed over a check worth RM650,000 to the ROSE Foundation to assist in reaching out to women in Sarawak who are potentially infected with HPV, especially in remote areas. - UKASnews