Cervical Screening Plays Vital Role, Despite Controversy
Opposition Leader and former Health Minister Jenny Shipley is urging women to heed the statistics confirming a decrease
in the rate of cervical cancer since the introduction of the nationwide cervical screening programme.
The latest edition of the annual Ministry of Health publication Health Targets shows that the number of women developing
cervical cancer has steadily declined since the screening programme was introduced.
"The programme has attracted substantial negative publicity as a result of the Gisborne inquiry, and those concerns must
be sorted out. But people should not overlook the fact that the programme is already helping to save the lives of many
New Zealand women.
"I encourage women to continue participating in the cervical screening programme. It is playing an important role in
improving the health of New Zealand women," Mrs Shipley said
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