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Coalition launched to prevent cervical cancer
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Health investment: Indonesian Working Group on HPV chairman Andrijono (left) takes a picture after the launch of the Indonesian Coalition to Prevent Cervical Cancer (KICKS) in Jakarta on April 26. (JP/Dian Septiari)
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ix nonprofit organizations launched on Wednesday a coalition to fight the spread of cervical cancer in response to cervical cancer becoming the third most common cancer, after breast cancer and colon cancer, in Indonesia.
Under the Indonesian Coalition to Prevent Cervical Cancer (KICKS), the groups have united to increase public awareness about the dangers of cervical cancer and other diseases caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and how to prevent them.
The six organizations are the Indonesian Oncology & Gynecology Association (HOGI), the Indonesian Working Group on HPV (IWG-HPV), the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI), the Cervical Cancer Care Foundation (YPKS), the Women's Health Foundation (YKP) and Kalyanamitra, an NGO promoting women's rights.
KICKS will primarily focus on supporting government efforts to accelerate two cervical cancer prevention national programs, namely HPV screening for married women and HPV vaccination for primary school children.
“It’s better to prevent and detect cervical cancer early through screening and vaccination than curing the cancer,” Indonesian Working Group on HPV chairman Andrijono said.
According to Globocan data released by WHO/ICO Information Center on HPV and Cervical Cancer in 2012, on average, one Indonesian woman dies every hour because of cervical cancer and there are 58 new cases each day.
Jakarta-chapter YKI chairman Veronica Tan said all parties needed to continuously promote the message that getting a HPV vaccine was a health investment.
“It is a key step in preventing various diseases caused by HPV, especially HPV type 16 And 18 that result in cervical cancer, in the future.” (dis/ebf)
