Cover Meet the seven participants of the Sepeda Amal Borneo 2024 800+km bicycle ride from Miri to Kuching to raise funds for Program Rose’s cervical cancer screening (Photo: Rose Foundation)
Meet the seven participants of the Sepeda Amal Borneo 2024 800+km bicycle ride from Miri to Kuching to raise funds for Program Rose’s cervical cancer screening (Photo: Rose Foundation)
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Meet the seven participants of the Sepeda Amal Borneo 2024 800+km bicycle ride from Miri to Kuching to raise funds for Program Rose’s cervical cancer screening
Ever taken a bicycle ride from Miri to Kuching in Sarawak? On July 28, seven cyclists set off to do just that, all in the name of raising money and awareness for an important women’s health cause.
Literally going the extra mile for cervical cancer awareness in the country, Vincent Lee, Anslem Tan Seang Kee, Low Huoi Seong, Tan Ju Lin, Dr Timothy Cheng Tsin Jien, Audrey Schroeder, and Amelia Monica Uhen kicked off their journey from the Pullman Miri Waterfront Hotel in a flag-off ceremony officiated by deputy Health minister Dato’ Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
The cyclists are all participants under the Sepeda Amal Borneo charity cycling event organised by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) in collaboration with Rose Foundation. The ride which, which will take seven days to complete, will see the seven cyclists making several stops along their route, to hand out brochures on the importance of cervical cancer screening.
The funds raised through online donations will be used for awareness and cervical screening programmes conducted under Program ROSE in Sabah and Sarawak, targeting particularly hard-to-reach and underserved communities in both states. Since its launch in April, Sepeda Amal Borneo has managed to raise RM153,570 out of the RM500,000 that it hopes to raise this year.
Program Rose (short for ‘Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening’) is an award-winning screening programme designed for Malaysian women, utilising a self-sampling method for women to test themselves for HPV with a secure, digital e-health platform to ensure proper communication and follow up post testing. This evidence-based approach can save lives and spare women and families from the suffering and financial hardship associated with cervical cancer.
“Sepeda Amal Borneo is not merely about the funds raised; it is about the awareness we bring, the conversations we start, and the lives we aim to save,” says Dr Khoo Su Pei, Rose Foundation community development director. “The funds collected through this initiative will go a long way in ensuring that more women, especially those hard-to-reach have access to cervical screening, early detection, and timely treatment, ultimately reducing the mortality rate associated with this preventable disease.”
See also: What we learned from Olivia Munn’s breast cancer diagnosis
Above The seven cyclists participating in Sepeda Amal Borneo this year to raise funds for cervical cancer screening (Photo: Rose Foundation)
The seven cyclists participating in Sepeda Amal Borneo this year to raise funds for cervical cancer screening (Photo: Rose Foundation)
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“ROSE Foundation will continue its endeavours in cervical cancer prevention, complementing the Ministry of Health’s effort in making cervical cancer free world a reality in Sarawak, and eventually Malaysia,” she says, adding that cervical cancer is amongst the top three most common cancers among women in Malaysia, with its highest incidence recorded in Sarawak and Sabah.
Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
