Getting Involved With POCC

After winning the title of Mrs Singapore Queen of Hope 2010/11, one of the greatest privileges was to have been approached to be an ambassador of Power over Cervical Cancer (POCC). So of course, I had to do my own little "research" and reading up on it to get my facts right.

H
ere it goes:
1. Cervical cancer is the sixth killer disease in Singapore and the second worldwide, affecting many women and their families today.

2. Many of these deaths could have been prevented through early detection at the pre-cancerous stage and vaccination.

3. Thus, with the increased use of Pap smear testing between 1955 and 1992, the cervical cancer death rate declined by 74% and continues to decline by nearly 4% in each year.

4. But even so, it is still very common along Singaporean women and the rate continues to be higher than most of Europe and USA.

5. Each year, in Singapore, there is about 200 women detected with cervical cancer each year and only half of them survive.

Personally speaking, death from cervical cancer is almost like death resulting from personal neglect...

These points gave me added motivation to make my part count for POCC by working closely together with them to educate the public by conducting talks and workshops to raise greater awareness towards cervical cancer. Essentially, I will want to advocate early vaccination as a preventive measure and encourage women who are married or have had sex before to go for Pap smear testing (which is offered free-of-charge in polyclinics by the Singapore Cancer Society). Each of these measures takes only but a few minutes to administer and helps to save years of the lives of many women. Wisely said, prevention is better than cure and the best way to get prevention is through educating the masses.

Check out this link on Pap smear testing:
www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/wwd-pap-smear.shtml


And of course the POCC site:
http://www.pocc.sg/


I sure am looking forward to the events to come :)

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