BANGKOK, 7 May 2013 The Public Health Ministry is expressing worries over the threat of cervical cancer Thai women have been increasingly facing. Deputy Public Health Minister Cholanan Srikaew said that cervical cancer is now the second-most threatening health issue for Thai women, especially those in a working age and the elderly.
Mr. Cholanan stated Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been stressing the importance of healthcare attention for women and children, after around 10,000 of women, particularly those aged between 45 and 55, fall prey for cervical cancer each year. Out of this, 5,200 died per year, or 14 each day.
He added that the Public Health Ministry has always been focusing on how to enable women, as much as possible, to prevent themselves against this life-threatening illness, which is mostly caused by an infection with some types of human papilloma virus (HPV).
In doing so, the ministry will work harder to educate the public about cervical cancer and to encourage some 21 million Thai women of 30 years old and above, to take a screening test.
The Deputy Public Health Minister said that if the ministry succeeds in having 80 percent of these women to take the test, Thailand will be able to reduce cervical cancer-related fatalities by 61 percent.
In addition, the Public Health Ministry is planning to encourage at-risk people to take HPV vaccination.
