The Community Service Committee of UTAR Centre for Foundation Studies (Kampar Campus) organised a webinar titled Women’s Health Awareness - Early Detection Saves Lives on 30 August 2022 via Zoom. An impressive number of 168 attendees, comprising both genders, were recorded at the webinar.

Event Coordinator and UTAR lecturer Kavitha Manickam stated that the objective of the webinar was to raise awareness among all on the importance of early diagnosis. It also aimed to alert attendees of the gravity of not noticing diseases which in turn could lead to fatality.

The webinar was conducted by Perak Community Specialist Hospital (PCSH) Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Anoop Kumar Beshambar Nath. He attained his MBBS from the University of Mangalore, Manipal India in 1988 and his MRCOG from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists London, England in 1993. His first posting was at Hospital Besar Taiping as the head of department from 1994 till 1996. He joined private practice by setting up the Maxwell Maternity and Surgical Centre in Ipoh in 1996. Subsequently, he opened his own clinic called Klinik Pakar Wanita Anoop & Dhillon in 2009 and finally joined PCSH on 1 October 2019. With 30 years of experience in the field, he is knowledgeable in managing all gynaecological health conditions.

Dr Anoop Kumar began the webinar by stating that the main focus of the webinar is to educate women on the prevention and reduction of the effects of unwarranted complications. He also wanted to teach them ways to lead a better life. He then moved on to explain the importance of an annual gynaecological examination. Clarification was made by showing the types of examinations and the procedures that every woman needs to undergo on yearly basis. It resumed with an explanation of early disease detection and its benefits, an image exhibition of a normal and infected female reproductive system, and a further explanation of the required treatments for the infected areas.

He added that the awareness among women in Malaysia on HPV vaccination is still very low and only about 18% of these women are fully vaccinated. He strongly encouraged all the attendees to receive the vaccination to prevent the disease.

Dr Anoop Kumar even advised the attendees that annual check-up is crucial regardless of sexual lifestyle and age. It helps with prevention and early detection which translates to a better life ahead and it complies with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 3 which focuses on Good Health and Well Being.

The webinar ended with a Q&A session and a group photography session. Most attendees commented that the webinar was both enlightening and informative.