Free cancer tests benefit rural women

BEIJING - About 25.4 million rural women have received free cervical or breast cancer screenings since a national program was launched in 2009, said the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) Saturday.

The program offering free cervical and breast cancer tests to rural women was initiated by the ACWF and the National Health and Family Planning Commission as part of the country's ambitious 850 billion yuan health care reform plan.

About 11,000 impoverished female patients have been provided with an average of 10,000 yuan ($1,644) for treatment after being tested and diagnosed with the diseases, said the ACWF.

With 562 million yuan in government funding, the program has allowed 11.69 million rural women to receive free cervical cancer tests and has provided breast cancer tests for another 1.46 million women during a trial period that ran from 2009 to 2011 in about 200 counties nationwide.

The government has decided to extend the program until 2015, with plans to offer cervical and breast cancer screenings to more rural women, according to the ACWF.