BEIJING - A program that includes free cervical and breast cancer screenings will be offered to more rural women over the next three years, according to a statement issued Friday after a national conference concerning the program.

The government has decided to expand the program until 2015, with plans to offer cervical cancer screenings for 10 million rural women and breast cancer tests for 1.2 million in 2012 alone, the statement said.

With 562 million yuan ($88 million) in government funding, the program has allowed 11.69 million rural women to receive free cervical cancer tests, as well as breast cancer tests for another 1.46 million women, during a trial period that ran from 2009 to 2011 in about 200 counties nationwide.

China initiated the program as part of the country's ambitious 850-billion-yuan health care reform plan.

The Ministry of Finance allocated 50 million yuan to help 5,142 impoverished women pay for cancer treatment last year.