Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa - Centre for Pacific and Global Health at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and its Pacific partners, are supporting the rollout of safe initiatives across the Pacific that are proven to prevent cervical cancer and save lives.
Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease but remains a leading cause of cancer death among Pacific women. In parts of the Pacific, incidence rates are up to nine times higher than in Australasia.
The Matariki Fund, administered by former Aotearoa/New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, is supporting the program by expanding access to new and existing locally led cancer prevention initiatives for more people across the Pacific.
This new partnership enables a new Pacific-led and coordinated program of work that: increases HPV vaccination coverage to reach at least 90 per cent of girls; expands access to cervical self-testing to achieve at least 70 per cent of eligible women; facilitates timely diagnostics to enable treatment for pre-cancerous lesions and invasive cancer; and establishes a coalition of Pacific women leaders to lead workforce and capability development, including digital and health system infrastructure.
The program made possible through a NZ$5.1 million (AUD 4.28 million) granted by the Matariki Fund, and active work of other partners in the region, will begin with a focus on the Cook Islands and Niue before being scaled up across the region.
Cervical cancer can be prevented through HPV vaccination, regular screening and timely diagnosis and treatment. Yet access to these services remains uneven across the Pacific. The new investment provides a critical opportunity to align national programs, regional partners, and women leaders around a common goal towards elimination.
Professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Co-Director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, says the funding is a game-changer for regional collaboration.
"Cervical cancer is preventable, yet too many Pacific women continue to die from it. This investment allows Pacific countries to work together — sharing expertise, strengthening systems, and supporting women leaders — to achieve elimination," he said.
Pacific women will be at the forefront of the initiative, working in partnership with Te Marae Ora (Cook Islands), the Niue Department of Health, and regional organisations.
Professor Judith McCool, Head of the School of Population Health and Co-Director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, says the funding enables sustainable, system-level change.
"This grant allows us to move beyond isolated interventions to a truly collaborative, Pacific-led approach. By strengthening leadership, governance, and regional partnerships, we are building the foundations for long-term health equity," she said.
Ms Ardern noted that Pacific women are disproportionately affected by a disease that can be eliminated.
"There is such excellent leadership within the region - this funding is simply about supporting them to save lives with solutions that should be available to everyone," she said.
The initiative will work alongside successful existing regional programs, including the EPICC program (funded by the Australian government and the Minderoo Foundation) and the Polynesian Health Corridors (PHC) (managed by the New Zealand Ministry of Health and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
Together, these partnerships aim to help scale effective interventions, reduce duplication, and strengthen regional health systems.
Aligning with the WHO Global Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer the initiative aims to support countries to achieve the "90-70-90" targets by 2030 — a threshold at which elimination becomes possible. In practice, this means aiming to achieving 90 per cent of girls aged 15 years receiving the HPV vaccine, 70 per cent of women screened by age 35 years, and again at 45 years; and 90 per cent of women with pre-cancer and invasive cancers treated.
