The Philippine Cervical Cancer Elimination Movement signs a “Call for Solidarity to Eliminate Cervical Cancer”. Mary Joyce Ilas, communications and advocacy lead of Stratbase ADR Institute; Dr. Jan Aura Laurelle Llevado, Department of Health Cancer Control Division, Disease Prevention & Control Bureau chief; Orlando Oxales, convenor of advocacy group UHC Watch; Dr.
other collaborative and innovative solutions in a whole-of-society approach to combat cervical cancer in the country. “Utilization of cervical cancer screening is unfortunately still low in this country. There is a need to increase budget [and] to convince government to put in more personnel as well as instrumentations necessary to achieve the goal,” said Dr. Domingo. He cited unavailability of facilities and expertise, and high out-of-pocket costs for the patient, among the factors of failed cervical cancer screening.
The DOH is currently collaborating with the HPV Vaccination Acceleration Program Partner’s Initiative Project to conduct a comprehensive landscape situational analysis, with the intent to use the findings in restoring and maintaining HPV vaccination. The DOH is also considering studying the effectiveness of service delivery models, assessing the benefits of community-based and school-based vaccination drives.
Dr. Ingrid Magnata, Country Program Manager of Jhpiego Philippines, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, and Strategies Lead of the SUCCESS Project in the Philippines, regards self-collection to be a game-changer in cervical cancer elimination. However, patient education is still critical for SUCCESS. She shared that for every 100 women who register for HPV DNA screening in a community in Tondo, only 50 will come during the actual day.