BUTUAN CITY — Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among Filipino women. In a proactive effort to change this, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Caraga, in partnership with the City Health Department, is taking screening services directly to the barangay level, meeting women where they are, rather than waiting for them to come to hospitals.
Bringing Lifesaving Services to the Barangay
The free Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screening was conducted on May 18 at the Butuan City Health Department, Libertad Main Health Center, with 37 women receiving the vital service. During the DOH Media Forum on the same day, a nurse from DOH-CHD Caraga emphasized that cervical cancer, primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), remains the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer, as well as one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, among Filipino women. This underscores the need to heighten awareness campaigns and healthcare interventions at the community level to encourage early detection and prevention. She also assured that health personnel administering the service were trained and would strictly observe data privacy.
Adopting a Global Strategy
To eliminate cervical cancer, DOH-CHD Caraga continues to adopt the global 90-70-90 strategy. Under this target, 90 percent of girls are expected to be fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15, 70 percent of women should undergo high-performance screening tests by ages 35 and 45, and 90 percent of women identified with cervical disease should receive appropriate treatment. This comprehensive approach ensures that services are not only available but are also part of a larger, coordinated effort to eradicate the disease.
Expanding Access Across the City
The City Health Department assured residents that free VIA screening services will not only be available at Libertad Main Health Center but will also be expanded to other main health centers across the city to increase healthcare coverage and encourage more women to undergo screening. As part of these initiatives, the 2026 Nationwide Cervical Cancer Screening Services and Proteksyon Para sa Altapresyon were jointly launched on May 12 in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, reinforcing efforts to bring preventive healthcare services closer to communities. Through strengthened community-based healthcare interventions, DOH-CHD Caraga aims to protect more women from cervical cancer and promote accessible, quality, and preventive healthcare services throughout the region.
