Labour vows earlier breast cancer screening detection
Women aged 45 and over will be able to receive free breast cancer screening
A Labour government would reduce the age for free breast cancer screening from 50 to 45, the Prime Minister's wife, Lydia Abela, announced on Sunday.
This would help detect cancer as early as possible and thereby increase the chances of recovery, Abela said during a discussion on motherhood on Mother’s Day, organised by the Labour Party.
The party also pledged to invest in more precise machines and relocate the Screening Unit from Lascaris Wharf to the National Screening Centre in Floriana.
The party made the same pledge in the lead-up to the 2022 general elections.
Work is already being carried out by the National Screening Centre to bring screening for breast cancer down to the age of 45.
Speaking at the event, Abela also announced that a Labour government would launch the country’s first women’s health strategy.
This strategy would aim to ensure that every woman has access to comprehensive healthcare services free from any form of prejudice, at every stage of her life, she said.
She further announced that the party pledges to launch a national educational campaign aimed at eradicating stereotypes related to child-rearing and the division of responsibilities within the family.
Abela stressed that the PL would continue listening to every mother, every woman and every family to understand their needs and stand by them at every stage of their lives.