WITH cervical cancer being the most preventable cancer worldwide, there is no reason to deprive teenage girls of a means of protection. About 560,000 girls in Malaysia were not provided with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in schools, and are at a much higher risk of cervical cancer than those who were.
Upon receiving enquiries from concerned parents and organisations, the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) carried out a survey across secondary schools in Malaysia. After identifying all districts in Malaysia, one secondary school was randomly selected from each and contacted. Teachers in charge of the vaccination programme were asked if the school had successfully carried out the HPV immunisation programme in 2020, 2021 and 2022.