Professor Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma and the team have continued their regional work on Cervical Cancer screening, prevention and treatment that started in Samoa in May this year. The meeting which was held recently (Sep) in Sydney.
A call was made by WHO and meeting partners to eliminate cervical cancer in the region. There was general agreement to build on the Sydney call for action and discussions are already underway among a number of collaborating groups including PSRH, RANZCOG, Victoria Screening Lab and the Universities of Otago and Victoria. It is possible to eliminate cervical cancer in Pacific Islands if joint efforts are sustained and national buy-in is secured. Pacific nations need to be in the driver’s seat in this agenda to prevent unnecessary deaths in young mothers across the region. Comprehensive interventions are needed including HPV vaccination, screening and early detection, and robust treatment programs. To facilitate the drive, actions for research, political will and activism are needed in this area.