"We often do public education by involving non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and religious leaders in encouraging our people to carry out the early screening for cancer," the ministry's Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases Eva Susanti said.
In this regard, the ministry prepared equipment and human resources," she said, adding that the ministry also continued to socialize the early cancer detection-related activities to the public through various social media platforms and direct outreach from house to house.
Susanti further stated that the socialization efforts are also followed by improving the quality of health services and facilities throughout Indonesia.
"There will be no differences of health services in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions from those in other regions. We have the same facilities. The health services for people who seek treatment in Aceh, in Papua, and in Jakarta will be equal," she emphasized.
She mentioned that the public awareness of carrying out the early cancer detection activities is still low. Therefore, the ministry always reminds the public of carrying out the early detection at least once a year.
To this end, the government continues efforts to provide modern health equipment at community health centers (puskesmas) and hospitals, Susanti said.
Since 2022, the government has equipped 10 thousand community health centers with ultrasound equipment to detect breast cancer, she continued.
Moreover, the government is also striving to eliminate cervical cancer by providing HPV immunization and HPV DNA testing.
The government is also striving to treat lung cancer by installing CT scans in 514 hospitals in 514 districts and cities, Susanti remarked.
For colon cancer, which is the second leading cause of death for men, the government will provide colonoscopy equipment in 514 hospitals in 514 districts and cities, she added.
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Translator: Farhan Arda N, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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