The Department of Health in the Caraga Region (DOH-13) will intensify its campaign against cervical cancer, particularly among women aged 30 to 65.

The agency opened its 30-day awareness regionwide campaign on Thursday with the screening and services of 73 women beneficiaries from the different barangays in Butuan City.

“The campaign will highlight the importance of early detection and diagnosis of cervical cancer among our women in the Cagara Region,” Romelyn Esther Torralba-Santos, the Regional Coordinator for Cancer Prevention Program of the DOH-13, said in a phone interview on Friday.

Though curable and preventable, cervical cancer is considered the third most common cancer among women in the country, Santos said.

“Our campaign will focus on convincing our women to have themselves screened for cervical cancer for early detection and prevention,” she added.

Last year, only 0.25 percent of the eligible women in the region had undergone cervical cancer screening. For this year, Santos said the DOH-13 will target around 24,450 eligible women across the Caraga Region for cervical cancer screening.

As of the end of May this year, a total of 1,473 eligible women from different provinces in the region have already undergone cervical cancer screening.

There are several methods for screening but the DOH-13 is recommending the use of Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid or VIA, especially for the Rural Health Units in far-flung areas.

This year’s theme for the campaign is “Babae Mahalaga Ka, Magpa-Cervical Cancer Screening Na.” (PNA)