Every day, approximately 12 Filipinas succumb to cervical cancer. That means, every two hours, a woman loses her battle against this disease, and a family grieves the loss of a loved one.
The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and healthcare company MSD in the Philippines recently came together to host a forum titled “Together for Health: Making a United Stand Against Cervical Cancer” on April 5 at the Makati Diamond Residences.
The aim was to comprehend the weight of cervical cancer and emphasize the urgency of a concerted, multi-sectoral effort toward its eradication.
Andreas Riedel, president and managing director of MSD in the Philippines, said that there is a need to continue promoting research-based information, prioritizing health education, and providing access to quality and affordable cancer care.
Riedel added that the focus should be on placing women at the center, amplifying the voices of cervical cancer patients, and ensuring that we deliver best-in-class vaccines and the latest innovations in cancer care products and services within their reach.
At the event, Teodoro Padilla, executive director of PHAP, said that in the Philippines, cervical cancer is the second leading cancer among women, with 37.8 million women at risk.
The country annually faces a burden of 7,897 cervical cancer cases, resulting in 4,052 deaths, often attributed to the human papillomavirus (HPV), Padilla pointed out.
He noted the World Health Organization’s global agenda aimed at eliminating HPV infections by 2030, with a crucial milestone being the vaccination of 90 percent of girls with the HPV vaccine within 15 years.
According to Padilla, since 2015, HPV vaccination has been integrated into the Department of Health’s (DOH) community-based national immunization program. Subsequently, a school-based HPV vaccination program was initiated in pilot elementary schools in 2017, targeting school-age girls in low- and middle-income countries.
“However, more needs to be done. The Philippines must improve its standing on the HPV program among low middle income families,” Padilla pointed out.
He mentioned that partners like Cancer Coalition Philippines and I Can Serve Foundation, among other organizations, fight cervical cancer through their respective advocacies.
“For the biopharmaceutical sector, we are proud of our culture of innovation, collaboration, and integrity,” he stated, noting that they discover medicines and vaccines, and ethically collaborate to make these innovations available to as many people as possible.
Ensuring that girls and women remain healthy, “we can do this by including cancer prevention as we approach the World Immunization Week every third week of April,” Padilla proposed. When they are vaccinated, “this can help ensure that no girl or woman would suffer or die because of cervical cancer.”
Padilla stressed that they cannot fight the battle alone as it requires a concerted effort.
“Each of us brings unique perspectives, strengths, and capabilities to the table and it is through our collective action that we can effect meaningful change.”
Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said that he has consistently pushed for additional budget for the cancer programs of the DOH, including funding for the cancer assistance fund.
Padilla urged to forge a path forward, “one mark by innovation, compassion, and inclusivity that holds the promise of a future where cervical cancer is just but a distant memory.”
