Jakarta, Feb. 4 -- The Indonesian Government has prepared a National Action Plan to handle four priority cancers, including eradicating cervical cancer and lessening the severity of breast, lung, and colon cancers, among others.

"The goal of this program is lowering the stage when first diagnosed to increase survival rate and reduce treatment cost," Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi remarked on Tuesday.

Cancer accounts for around 408,661 new cases annually, resulting in 242,988 deaths each year, making it the third leading cause of death following stroke and heart disease, she explained.

Citing data from the national health insurer (BPJS Health), Tarmizi stated ...