A conference on cervical cancer elimination under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was held March 21 in Taipei City to share Taiwan’s successful efforts to address one of the most common cancers affecting women around the world.
Organized by the Health Promotion Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the event involved around 200 participants from 13 APEC member economies, including academics and experts from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, South Korea, Thailand and the U.S.
In addition to sharing their experiences, participants discussed key issues such as barriers and challenges, prevention guidelines and policies, tools to achieve equity in disease elimination, and appropriate response measures, the agency said.
According to the HPA, Taiwan has a proven track record in preventing and treating the disease that goes back to a measure established in 1995 that provides women over 30 years of age with Pap tests once a year, and an HPV vaccination initiative for junior high school girls that began in 2008. These efforts have seen the disease drop from first to tenth on the incidence rate list, and from fourth to eighth in terms of mortality rate.
Under President Lai Ching-te’s Healthy Taiwan vision, the agency extended the age range for free Pap smears to women aged 25-29, who may receive one free test every three years, and has rolled out HPV testing to women in the year they turn 35, 45 and 65 years old, as well as HPV vaccinations for junior high school boys.
The government will continue to expand cooperation and exchanges with fellow APEC members to promote the well-being of women in the region and fulfill the World Health Organization’s 2030 goal of having 90 percent of girls fully vaccinated; 70 percent of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 and again by the age of 45; and 90 percent of women with pre-cancerous lesions or invasive cancer in treatment. (SFC-E)
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