The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Pacific Island Affairs
Australia will invest an additional $5.5 million to expand our support for Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to eliminate cervical cancer.
The Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) draws on Australia’s world-leading cervical cancer expertise to work with partner countries across the Pacific and Southeast Asia to implement sustainable cervical cancer elimination strategies.
This includes supporting national vaccination campaigns against human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer. Other activities include increasing access to screening and treatment and building health workforce capacity.
The EPICC partnership is jointly funded by the Australian Government and Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation. This new funding takes the combined contribution of both partners to $35.1 million.
The EPICC partnership was a focus of discussion at the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum in Indonesia this week, co-hosted with Australia.
The Australia Government and Minderoo Foundation have committed to supporting Indonesia’s national cervical cancer elimination strategy through the EPICC partnership, along with expanding our work with Indonesia to target cervical cancer across the region.
The partnership complements Australia’s existing support for HPV vaccination in the region through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:
"This expansion of our partnership for cervical cancer elimination in the Pacific will draw on Australian expertise. The Australian Government is proud to work with our neighbours to improve the health and lives of women and girls in our region."
Quotes attributable to Minister for International Development, the Hon Dr Anne Aly:
"Expanding our regional cervical cancer elimination program will be life changing for women, girls and their families across the Indo-Pacific."
"We are pleased to be working in partnership with Indonesia and other governments to address this pressing health challenge and deliver progress for women across our region."