The Women’s General Association of Macau will be introducing a health ambassador program next year, which is aimed at boosting women’s understanding of serious diseases such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and AIDS.
According to local media reports, the programme aligns with the government’s Healthy Macao Blueprint, which was launched in July, and will include promotional events, training and activities that raise awareness of women’s health.
During a press conference yesterday to mark the 15 years since the establishment of the Women’s Association’s clinic for women, the deputy head of the organisation, Wong Kit Cheng, said the clinic had conducted more than 85,000 cervical cancer tests – equivalent to around 500 screenings per month.
Wong advised that women between 20 and 49 should be tested early as they are in the high risk category. In order to promote testing, Wong said the organisation has staff members calling residents, as well as volunteers who visit residential areas. Last year, the Women’s Association also collaborated with 33 businesses and organisations from different sectors to offer more cervical cancer testing to some 1,400 people.
[See more: Here’s how you can reduce your risk of breast cancer]
On breast cancer, the association pointed out that it had been offering free examinations since April 2017 and has helped to screen more than 24,000 women since that time. According to a survey and medical data cited by the organisation, the risk of breast cancer increases significantly among women aged 50 and over.
HIV prevention is another major area of concern for the organisation, with Wong noting that since the introduction of HIV testing service at the clinic in 2018, more than 11,000 people have been tested so far, of which 8 were found to be positive cases.
In terms of the association’s future work, Wong said it would continue to focus on efforts to prevent cervical and breast cancer among women.
According to the 2022 Macao Cancer Registry, breast cancer was the number one form of cancer among female residents in Macao, accounting for 21.3 percent of the cancers afflicting local women. Meanwhile, cervical cancer was ranked number 10, making up 2.1 percent of the total.
