The Ministry of Public Health and partner networks are raising cancer awareness among women, especially for cervical cancer and breast cancer. The ministry intends to kick off a human papillomavirus vaccine or HPV vaccination campaign for females aged 11 to 20 years in November, with the aim being to vaccinate 1 million persons.
Minister of Public Health Cholnan Srikaew inaugurated a meeting to discuss the situation of cancer in women and policies to raise cancer awareness and women’s access to cancer care.
Information from the National Cancer Institute indicates that about 17,000 new breast cancer patients are now found per year, while about 4,800 breast cancer patients die each year. Around 5,400 new cervical cancer patients are found each year, with about 2,200 annual deaths.
With these figures in mind, the Ministry of Public Health has issued a directive for “comprehensive cancer care” to be a core policy to be implemented in 2024. This policy encompasses awareness promotion, screening, diagnosis, and treatment for cancer. It also covers palliative care for cancer patients. One aim is for the policy to yield results within the first 100 days of implementation.
One aspect of the policy involves providing HPV vaccines to one million females aged 11 to 20 years. This vaccination drive will kick off nationwide next month. (NNT)
