As Singaporeans prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, there is another important occasion to mark this year. Beginning Mother’s Day, Singapore will be commemorating its first-ever National Women’s Checkup Week (8-14 May).

In collaboration with the Singapore Cancer Society, the week is dedicated to reminding women of all ages to prioritise their health by scheduling regular checkup appointments with their healthcare providers.

This is an increasingly important topic to discuss as many women, mothers in particular, deprioritise their health for their loved ones. According to recent research commissioned by Roche Diagnostics in Asia Pacific and conducted by Frontier View, 1 in 5 women felt strongly they have delayed or avoided medical treatment one or several times due to a family obligation.

Despite being a preventable disease, cervical cancer ranks as the 10th most frequent cancer among women in Singapore. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. HPV vaccination can protect against cervical cancer caused by HPV but vaccinated women will still need regular cervical cancer screening because the vaccine protects against most but not all HPV types that cause cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is highly preventable if detected early with cervical cancer screening.

Too many women are delaying medical treatment and combined with the rising trend of late-stage cervical cancer in Singapore, the future points to catastrophic consequences in lives lost and healthcare costs.

In addition, breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer among women in Singapore. Each year, over 2,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 400 die from the disease. 1 in 13 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime.

Today, many women delay or neglect their health screenings due to various reasons, including fear, cost, and time constraints. Regular checkups are an essential part of maintaining good health and we are proud partners of National Women’s Checkup Week. We urge all women to prioritise their health and to schedule a checkup.”

– Mr Albert Ching, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Cancer Society

National Women’s Checkup Week is a dedicated call-to-action to remind women of all ages to prioritise their health by scheduling regular checkup appointments with their healthcare providers.

National Women’s Checkup Week is an opportunity to encourage all women to take control of their health and well-being, get checked and proactively prevent potential health issues before they become more serious.

At Roche, we are committed to improving the health and well- being of people around the world. We believe that National
Women’s Checkup Week is an important initiative that can help save lives by promoting early detection and prevention of serious health issues. Through a checkup, your healthcare provider can help you assess your overall health, detect any potential health issues, and provide guidance on how to stay healthy and prevent future problems. Help support #SGcheckup and give your Mother the gift of good health.”

– Karen Yu, Country Health, Roche Diagnostics Singapore

Starting on Mother’s Day, give your Mother the gift of health by making an appointment today: