Pilot project on cervical screening
UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Victorian Cytology Services (VCS) Ltd and Celcom Axiata Berhad to undertake a comprehensive cervical screening programme.
Called Project ROSE (Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening), it is a pilot cervical screening programme that employs a human-centred approach in developing a solution that responds to the needs of Malaysian women.
Women will be empowered to take their own cervical screening sample as an alternative to a healthcare professional taking the cervical specimen via a pelvic examination.
Another unique aspect of ROSE is that women will need less cervical screening tests over their lifetime.
The current cervical screening programme requires women to have up to 15 pap smears in their lifetime whereas employing the new HPV DNA test can reduce that down to five tests or less per lifetime.
UM associate vice-chancellor of Industry and Community Networks, Prof Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman said the MoU was in line with the varsity’s mission in “advancing knowledge and improving health outcomes for the nation through quality research and education”.
She said that she was pleased to lead the collaboration with various parties and their expertise in developing an improved cervical screening programme in Malaysia.
For more than 50 years, VCS has helped shape the cervical screening programme in Australia including the development of the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry (VCCR) and the National Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Programme Register (NHVPR).
VCS executive director Assoc Prof Marion Saville expressed excitement to contribute to the project.
“VCS looks forward to sharing our expertise and helping to reduce the impact of cervical cancer on Malaysian women” she said.
Celcom Axiata Berhad deputy chief executive officer, Business Operations Azwan Khan Osman Khan said: “Digital conversion plays a significant role in enabling innovative healthcare provision.”
Project ROSE will pave the way for Axiata via Celcom to contribute towards the development of a convenient and advanced healthcare for Malaysians through our network technologies and mobile solutions.
“We are fully committed to helping more healthcare providers in this journey of transformation, making Malaysia a healthier nation,” he added.
Lead principal investigator, Prof Dr Woo Yin Ling, who initiated Project ROSE, is hopeful that the pilot project will provide important information on how to increase the uptake of cervical screening in Malaysia.
“I see the devastating effects of cervical cancer on women and their families.
“By integrating the latest technologies in a human-centred approach, cervical cancer can now almost entirely be prevented.
“I am hopeful that we are taking another step forward towards protecting more women,” said Prof Woo.
The MoU was signed by Prof Rofina, Saville and Azwan Khan.