The Straits Times Podcasts

Indonesia’s bold plan to catch cervical cancer early will see 50-60 million women screened and vaccinated

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US Bureau Chief Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.

Indonesia’s bold plan to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern - the country’s cervical cancer rate is higher than the global average - is being approached not as a programme but as a movement, says its Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin

The plan aims at using thousands of primary health clinics and also private sector partners across the sprawling and diverse country, to screen 50-60 million women early for cervical cancer - because catching it early is the key to bringing down the numbers.

Currently roughly 70 per cent of cases are diagnosed when they are already in an advanced stage - and the fatality rate is high.

The Minister, a nuclear physicist and among other things former CEO of Indonesia’s micro lending bank giant Mandiri Bank, spoke to Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh on this episode, stressing that early intervention and a massive vaccination drive, enabled by wide buy-in across the government and private sector - the result of a wide consultation process - will reduce the fatality rate.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:48 Indonesia's cervical cancer rate is higher than the global average

04:28 Reducing mortality rate to below 30 per cent, possible but with early detection

06:37 The key strategy is to fix this problem earlier, not later

07:45 First: Massive immunizations for about 50 to 60 million Indonesian women

11:16 Approach as a movement, not a programme

12:55 Providing healthcare facilities to private sectors - free screening, free vaccine

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Asian Insider with Nirmal Ghosh every fourth Friday of the month here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r

Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Special edition series:

True Crimes of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i4Y3

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The affordable luxury of personalised car licence plates are proving an enduring and endearing avenue for self-expression in a changing Hong Kong

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

HEY YU, DREAMER, ADD OIL. The messages on Hong Kong's vanity car plates can draw nods of appreciation or chuckles for the city’s motorists. They can tell you a thing or two about their owners' status, sense of humour and beliefs.

Since the authorities made these special plates possible 20 years ago, Hong Kong has seen a proliferation of such plates on its roads. And along with it, communities have sprung up online devoted to sightings of this phenomenon.

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on the motivations behind this trend and what it reveals about Hong Kongers' deepest desires and obsessions.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:50 Why vanity plates aren’t just for vanity’s sake alone

3:20 What Hong Kong’s vanity plates reveal about the city and its people

9:55 How a car with a special plate came to be impounded in Hong Kong on the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen incident

12:33 The biggest changes in Hong Kong society in recent years

Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/KKxa

Produced by: Li Xueying ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Read Magdalene Fung's articles: https://str.sg/dbo9

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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Invisible Asia Ep 1:  'My ISIS fighter brother turned me into an advocate against terror'

10:23 mins

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen, unheard and little talked about.  Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.

The Straits Times' regional correspondent Tan Jia Ning narrates and also speaks to Muhammad In’am Amin, 44, in Indonesia.

He is the founder of Kopi Gandroeng in Jogjakarta, the base for his counter-terrorism organisation Yayasan Lingkar Perdamaian (Peace Network Foundation).

In'am's brother, Wildan Mukhollad, was the first Indonesian to die fighting for the Islamic State terrorist group in the Middle East, in 2014. Wildan was only 19. 

1. In'am recalls how Wildan became radicalised soon after leaving to study in Egypt  (2:25)
2. Their family is labelled as "terrorists" and ostracised in their village after Wildan's death (3:28)
3. In'am rebuilds life in Jogjakarta, helping to pull vulnerable youth back from the brink of religious extremism (4:49)
4. His strategy proves an effective alternative to the government’s deradicalisation programmes (6:17)
5. The Quran's words of tolerance, mercy and kindness must ring louder than those of war and jihad, In'am says (8:35)

Read Tan Jia Ning's story here: https://str.sg/Jjhe

Produced by: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Discover Invisible Asia Podcast playlist: https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia

Discover Invisible Asia Video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b

Discover ST & BT podcasts:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP

Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt

Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts

https://bt.sg/moneyhacks

Feedback to: [email protected] 

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Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN

ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE

Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2

#PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad

Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover BT Podcasts: