Swire Group has donated A$25.9 million to support cervical cancer screening and treatment for over 130,000 women in seven pacific countries.
In what has been described as the “largest single philanthropic donation in its history,” UNSW Sydney has received the funds that will enable its Kirby Institute to work with partners in Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
Rates of cervical cancer in the Pacific are among the highest in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with Pacific women up to 14 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than women in Australia.
“Cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death among women in the Pacific and is devastating to women, families, and entire communities across our region. This generous investment will enable countries like Samoa to partner with the Kirby Institute to advance our vision of a world free of cervical cancer,” said the Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, Prime Minister of Samoa.
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a common virus spread through sexual contact. Most women with HPV infection or early cervical disease do not experience symptoms, so early detection through screening is crucial.
“This landmark investment will enable us to work with countries across the Pacific over the next five years to advance our collective vision of a world free of cervical cancer and ultimately save thousands of lives across our region,” says Professor Andrew Vallely, who is co-leading the work at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney with Project Manager Vanessa Price.
Sam Swire, executive director at of the Swire Group, commented: “We are delighted to support the Kirby Institute, who have an excellent reputation in the region for highly
impactful research conducted in partnership with local leaders, communities, and organisations. Through Swire Shipping we have been serving the Pacific Island nations for over 70 years. Tragically, in the Pacific, women are dying from a disease that is preventable, and this programme targets its elimination”.
Despite huge efforts over many years, barriers have prevented Pacific countries from establishing and sustaining population-based cervical screening and vaccination programs. Challenges include the diverse geography of these nations, which are among the most remote and isolated in the world. This project will utilise advancements in cervical screening so that women who present to clinics can self-collect their own specimens, with results available in an hour.
“This approach is a game changer for the Pacific. Previous approaches involved invasive pelvic examinations and results could take weeks. Now with this donation from the Swire Group we can work with partner countries to sustainably build this highly effective screening strategy into health policy and services, enabling access to cervical screening and treatment and saving women’s lives,” says Ms Vanessa Price from UNSW’s Kirby Institute.
Dr Leanne Panisi, Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, in the Solomon Islands says this funding presents an amazing opportunity for the Solomon Islands to move forward. “We see the burden at my end with patients, I see the suffering. I see patients with end stage cervical cancer in my clinic every week,” she said.
Dr Paulus Ripa, who leads the ECCWP Program in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, wants to see the end of suffering for women and their families. “Close to 30,000 women have already benefited from the screening program here in Papua New Guinea, and now our neighbours across the Pacific will also have access to this life saving service,” he said.
Focused in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, The Kirby Institute is a health research organisation at UNSW Sydney working to eliminate infectious disease through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
