HPV Vaccine and Community Support Effective in Preventing Cervical Cancer

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Dr See Hui Ti, an oncologist at Singapore’s Parkway Cancer Centre, has said that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and community support are effective in preventing cervical cancer in women.

“There is no more effective way than vaccination. As Indonesians, if you have children, whether boys or girls, then HPV vaccination in line with the government’s recommendation, which has been rolled out since school age, is the most correct approach,” she said during a media discussion in South Jakarta on Thursday.

See Hui Ti also stressed the importance of community support for women in preventing cervical cancer more effectively, as prevention through vaccination and healthy living tips would be of little use if a woman grows up in an environment without a supportive community.

“So, if we decide to have children when married, with a father or mother, or an environment willing to support a child’s growth and development, or the whole family becoming a supportive community, that is actually where the key lies. The main reason someone can live a long life is if they live in a healthy community that fully supports every woman to be healthier,” she explained.

“Young women now have more choices, whether to marry or not marry, but by the age of 60, we need a family or community that supports us in old age. So women must also be able to find supportive companions who will back them in their later years. The most important thing is maintaining one’s own mental health and ensuring the environment remains supportive,” she said.

For context, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) provides the HPV vaccine free of charge to girls in the 5th and 6th grades of primary school. The vaccine is mandatory for preventing cervical cancer and is administered through the School Child Immunisation Month (BIAS) programme, routinely held every August and November.

The national programme targets children aged 11 and 12 and is given in two doses. The administration of the HPV vaccine is considered highly important and effective in reducing the death toll from cervical cancer, which remains considerably high in Indonesia.

Kemenkes is targeting 90 per cent HPV vaccine coverage among girls aged 15 by 2030. This achievement would mark an important milestone in efforts to prevent cervical cancer, which poses a serious health threat to women.