Penang: The Institute of Advanced Medicine and Dentistry (IPPT) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been selected to participate in the initiative on cervical cancer patient care methods known as the ACTIVE 2.0 Project, which was launched recently. In a statement today, USM announced that the ACTIVE 2.0 Project, involving six countries in Southeast Asia, is being implemented to improve treatment efforts and support the recovery process of cervical cancer patients across the Asian region.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, as the only institution under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) selected to participate in the ACTIVE 2.0 programme, IPPT USM will continue to increase its efforts, especially in the fields of research, training, and innovation. As part of the initiative, IPPT USM offers the services of two oncologists and a medical physicist, in addition to the latest infrastructure available in accordance with its role as a training centre for ‘brachytherapy’ services.
The statement revealed that the initiative led by Dr. Jasmin Jalil at IPPT will place IPPT as the only institution involved under the MOHE, and also one of 17 training centres in Southeast Asia that function as a training centre focusing on advanced ‘brachytherapy’ treatment for cervical cancer. USM announced that the three-year initiative will focus on strengthening the healthcare system through clinical training, infrastructure improvements, and digitalisation innovations, aimed at expanding access to high-quality specialist care for cervical cancer patients and their families.
According to the statement, data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said cervical cancer remains a major healthcare challenge in the Southeast Asian region, with more than 69,000 new cases and 38,000 deaths reported in 2022. Meanwhile, in the same statement, ACTIVE 2.0 Project director Paul Lee said that although modern radiation methods have significantly improved treatment outcomes, there is still a gap in terms of access to the latest treatments and trained expertise.
He emphasized that ACTIVE 2.0 is also working to bridge this gap through advanced medical training, infrastructure improvements, and focused innovations in cancer patient care. “ACTIVE 2.0 is also an important step in improving access to advanced care across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. Through the project, Malaysia will increase the number of trained clinical specialists in the field of advanced cervical cancer treatment, enhance the capacity of local hospitals, and be better able to support patients during their recovery period,” he stated.
Paul Lee added that the aim was to give hope to all parties who have to deal with cervical cancer, and ACTIVE 2.0 would collaborate with renowned oncology treatment centres in Malaysia to develop a network of four Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for cervical cancer treatment. All these centres will receive the latest radiotherapy training equipment from the project, in addition to improved infrastructure to support the long-term recovery process of patients.