Dr Woo Yin Ling, who is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Universiti Malaya, has won the prestigious 2023 Rachel Pearline Award in recognition of her global contribution to cancer research and practice in low- and middle-income countries.
Rose Foundation, in a statement today, said Dr Woo had conceptualised and executed Programme ROSE (Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening), an innovative cervical screening programme that incorporates human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling.
Commenting on the award, Dr Woo said it is a great honour for Malaysia and that the recognition is a testament that Malaysians can achieve more if they work together.
“Programme ROSE is the culmination of a huge collaborative effort from many Malaysians who believe in the vision of a cervical cancer-free Malaysia,” she said.
Programme ROSE was launched in January 2019 by the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The programme is the initiative of the ROSE Foundation, whose goal is to make Malaysia one of the first countries in the region to be free of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer locally among women aged below 44.
Every year the Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research (ASGCR) Steering Committee invites nominations for the award and chooses one outstanding professional who embodies virtue and eminence in cancer research, practice, and/or training in a low-and middle-income country (LMIC).
The ASGCR is the flagship meeting of the United States’ National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health.
It brings together people in global oncology to discuss trends in global cancer research and control and map out collaborative efforts to move the field forward. – Bernama