(From left) Zuhairie, Santhia, Yeap, Jahanath, Dr Saunthari, Jaya, Daarshan and Wong at the press conference for the charity golf tournament happening on March 8. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
EARLY detection is key to fighting the battle against cancer.
National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) is a non-profit organisation that aims to create a wider understanding of cancer prevention and early detection.
By providing care services and help at every stage of cancer, the society aims to raise awareness on cancer-related education and the support services available to the public.
Educating the public on the early detection of cancer can be crucial in prevention and treatment.
The society conducts environment, social and governance (ESG) programmes to raise funds to sustain its services.
One such programme is JSM-Taqa Charity Golf Tournament.
The third edition of the invitational will be held on March 8 at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Kota Kemuning, Selangor.
This year, funds generated by the tournament will go towards providing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to B40, underprivileged and marginalised groups.
“There used to be a HPV immunisation programme under the Health Ministry for government and private schools, but it was halted due to the pandemic.
“With schools closed, hundreds of thousands of female students were unable to receive their vaccinations, which is a concern for an increased risk of cervical cancer,” said NCSM president and medical director Datuk Dr Saunthari Somasundaram.
“There are many other minorities across Malaysia who are unable to access HPV vaccines.
“We are trying to make a difference by preventing cancer from happening, or at least be able to identify it at its early stages.
“Many people do not know that HPV can be eradicated and prevented,” she added.
“We are trying to spread awareness but to reach these marginalised groups, we need funds and support in terms of resources, logistics and planning.”
“Fear of the unknown can cause a patient to delay seeking treatment for cervical cancer, leading to the disease reaching a dangerous stage,” said Jahanath Muthusamy, NCSM Sustainability & Development ambassador and RHB Insurance Bhd chairman.
“In many cases, the risk could have been mitigated had the disease been detected earlier.
“People can be reluctant when it comes to accepting that they have cancer and may delay seeking support.
“This can be detrimental to the patient’s health.”
He said NCSM educated the public on the benefits of early detection as well as available support and services.
NCSM invites public and corporate entities to support the cause via the golf tournament.
Contributions will also go towards funding cancer screening and therapy, assessments and accommodation at Hospital Kuala Lumpur for the B40 group.
“ESG initiatives such as our golf tournament can play a significant role in corporate organisations’ development goals,” said Jaya Kumaar, JSM Advisory Services Sdn Bhd director.
Present at the press conference were Taqa Consortium Sdn Bhd business development executive Zuhairie Zainudin, Life Standards Sdn Bhd head of Commercial Santhia Devi Chandra Das, JQ RSims Consulting Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd business development executive Daarshan Kunasegaran and NCSM marketing director Yeap Chong Wei and corporate relations and marketing manager Michelle Wong Lai Fen.
For registration, contributions and enquiries, contact santhia@cancer.com.my or 016-902 0822.
