Empowering women while Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening: The journey of saving lives through Program ROSE

Professor Woo Yin Ling is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University of Malaya and a consultant gynaecological oncologist in University Malaya Medical Centre.  She completed her specialist and subspecialty training in gynaecological oncology and postdoctoral research degree in the UK and was conferred her PhD by Cambridge University in 2008. Yin Ling received many awards for her professional excellence including the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Gold. She returned to Malaysia in 2010 and have since been actively involved in of several research programs focusing on screening, prevention and management of gynaecological cancers in the Malaysian setting.

Prof. Woo believes that any innovation in healthcare services must take into account the local resources with input from the stakeholders, particularly the women themselves.  In 2021 and 2022, she was the recipient of the FIGO and Rachel Pearline award respectively for her contributions to gynaecological cancers in LMIC settings.  She is currently the country representative for the Asia-Oceania Research Organisation in Genital Infection and Neoplasia (AOGIN), member of the Asia Pacific Economic Consortium (APEC) Cervical Cancer working group, member of the WHO screening and treatment working group (WHO), newly elected board member of the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) and is a founding trustee to ROSE Foundation.

Yin Ling Woo reported the following relevant financial disclosures:

• Grant/Research Support: Merck, COPAN, Roche

Professor Marion Saville has been Executive Director of the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC) for over 20 years, where she has led the laboratory, population health and digital health teams focussing on the control of cancer and infectious diseases through the delivery of laboratory and registry services, particularly focussing on cervical cancer prevention.

Prof. Saville has served on cervical screening advisory committees in Australia, New Zealand and Ontario. She currently chairs the working group to review Australia’s Guidelines for the management of screen-detected abnormalities in the National Cervical Screening Program, is a non-Executive Director of Cancer Council Australia and a Trustee for the ROSE Foundation.

Prof. Saville’s work explores how culturally safe screening can meet the needs of disadvantaged groupswho have poorer cancer outcomes, in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the Western Pacific Regions, and in recognition of this work she was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2020 for her significant service to women’s health through cervical screening initiatives.

Marion Saville reported the following relevant financial disclosures:

• Grant/Research Support: Abbott, AusDiagnostics, BD, Cepheid, Copan, Hologic, Microbiologics, MicroBix, NRL, Qiagen, Rovers, Roche, and Seegene