Karen Canfell, Lead of The Cancer Elimination Collaboration (CEC), Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, shared an update from The Cancer Elimination Collaboration (CEC), Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, on LinkedIn, adding:
“Many congratulations to the Ministry of Health and elimination program leads in Vanuatu, for the launch of the national strategy for cervical cancer elimination! It was so exciting to be there with The Cancer Elimination Collaboration (CEC), Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney and Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney teams for this critical milestone towards sustainability. It was an honour to celebrate with Minister Bohn, Directors Jenny Stephens and Sereana Natuman, and the incredible clinical and operational leads of the program!”
Quoting The Cancer Elimination Collaboration (CEC), Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney:
“Last week, on 7 August, the CEC team were honoured to attend the launch of Vanuatu’s National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy (NCCES) in Port Vila, launched by the Hon. Robert Bohn, Vanuatu Minister for Health.
This strategy marks a tremendous milestone in Vanuatu’s ongoing commitment to cervical cancer elimination, building on remarkable on-the-ground progress in vaccination, screening, and treatment. It sets out a clear roadmap to strengthen and sustain these efforts – grounded in a shared commitment that no woman is left unseen, no girl unprotected, and no life lost to a preventable disease.
The strategy was led by the NCCES Working Group, with funding provided by the WHO South Pacific Vanuatu Office. Technical support for strategy development was provided by the CEC, led by Carol Naidu, with additional support from the Elimination Partnership in Cervical Cancer (EPICC) Program, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minderoo Foundation and the Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in the Pacific (AdvanCE) program, funded by the Swire Group. Incredible on-ground support was provided by the Vanuatu Family Health Association.
This strategy lays the foundation and direction for strengthening the three pillars of cervical cancer elimination through a health systems strengthening lens, and champions a nationally owned, sustainable path towards cervical cancer elimination in Vanuatu.”
