KUCHING: A total of 45,313 women across Sarawak have undergone human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA screening from 2019 to 2024, with 3,037 HPV-positive cases reported during this period.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said while a number of HPV-positive cases were identified many cancer cases were successfully prevented through the screenings.
“We have managed to prevent more cases through this early detection effort, which clearly demonstrates the significant impact of this initiative.
“We want every woman to be aware that cervical cancer can be prevented and treated, especially with early detection made possible by advances in medical technology,” she said.
She said this during the National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2025 celebration at Dewan Santubong, CIDB Convention Centre here today (Jan 27).
She noted that cervical cancer is often referred to as a silent killer because it rarely shows symptoms in its early stages.
She also highlighted findings from the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), which revealed that 65 per cent of women aged 20 and above had not undergone cervical cancer screening in the past three years.
“Key reasons include the perception that they are healthy, the absence of symptoms, and time constraints.
“The truth is, symptoms are not always an accurate benchmark for health. HPV DNA testing can detect infections up to 10 years before they develop into cancer.
“With the latest technology, we can identify risks earlier and take immediate action,” she said.
In addition, she expressed satisfaction with the National Cancer Report, which showed a drop in cervical cancer incidence from the third to the sixth most common cancer among women between 2017 and 2021.
“Even more encouraging, cervical cancer is the only cancer among women to record a decline in incidence,” she said.
Meanwhile, she disclosed that a total of 162,581 women nationwide have undergone screening from 2019 to 2024, with 10,582 HPV-positive cases detected, 135 precancerous cases identified, and 17 cancer-positive cases treated.
