Cervical cancer

Girls aged 9-14 years and attending grade 3-6 at a private or public primary school in NCD will be offered the vaccination free of charge.

The cervical cancer vaccination is fully endorsed by the PNG National Department of Health and the World Health Organisation.

It is part of the PNG National Health Plan and will be offered to all girls in PNG.

A consent form will be given to the girls at school to take home to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to school before the scheduled vaccination day.

The pilot program will be officially launched by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and will be rolled out in schools in NCD.

The program is introduced to PNG by NDoH in partnership with Rotary Club of Boroko, Department of Education, WHO, UNICEF, Cancer Foundation PNG, and other partners.

A total of 56 000 doses of vaccine, funded by the Rotary Club, have arrived in the country, enough to vaccinate 26 000 girls.

All girls aged 9-14 years attending grade 3-6 at all public and private schools in NCD will be offered two doses of the vaccine free of charge.

Dr Stinshoff explained that cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus and is the most common cancer in women in PNG.

She revealed that PNG has a rate 6.3 times higher than that of Australia and New Zealand and a mortality rate that is 13.5 times higher.

It is estimated that more than 1000 women in PNG die of cervical cancer every year.

Most types of cervical cancer are caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus.

Health Secretary, Pascoe Kase and representatives from partners from the Department of Education and the Rotary Club witnessed the occasion.

Kase said cervical cancer, with an estimated 1, 500 deaths per year, is the most common cancer among women in PNG and is the only cancer that can be prevented through a vaccination.

“The cervical cancer vaccination, also called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination can protect women from developing most types of cervical cancer when given to girls before any sexual activity begins,” Kase said.

Kapavore, who is also Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery, said cervical cancer vaccination must be made compulsory and part of the National Immunisation Program in the country.

He was responding to a recent report about a pilot project coordinated in NCD to roll out ‘Gardisil’ vaccines.  Gardisil is a vaccine administered to young women before they reach puberty or encounter sexual activity.

Kapavore asked why PNG continued to run pilot tests of the vaccine when it has been licensed in more than 20 countries.

The patients received medical check-up by the six member medical team from Kundiawa Hospital on October 11-17 at Yandera, Upper Bundi.

Among the patients were two 50-year-olds, one with stage four cervical cancer and the other with chronic Henson disease, who suffered severe abdominal pains and renal issues for six years.

The cancer patient was referred by the visiting medical team for urgent treatment and blood transfusion at the Kundiawa Hospital.

A four-year-old female patient with chronic productive cough was also among the five patients being airlifted.

The free Pinktober workshops will be held at the Royal Papua Yacht Club in Port Moresby on Oct 10 and the 17th.  

The workshop aim was to reduce the threat and impact of cancer through education and prevention programs.

The workshops will be conducted by a PNGCF health educator, explaining what cancer is, how to recognise early signs and symptoms and how you can protect yourself from the disease.

The Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation (PNGCF) will be hosting a line of events to commemorate women’s cancer awareness month in October.

Known as Pinktober, the month of October is dedicated to raising more awareness on cancer affecting women.

PNGCF will be conducting a free cancer screening and awareness program in Papa and Lealea villages on Oct 12 and 13 respectively.

Free Pinktober workshops will also be carried out on Oct 10-17 in Port Moresby, focusing on breast and cervical cancer.

Lawes Road Well Women Center is well into its second day of running cervical cancer awareness at the Bomana Correctional Service Institution (CIS) community clinic. It is also doing awareness on non- communicable diseases.

More than 50-plus women, from CIS officers to residents to inmates from the Bomana prison, were present to listen in on today’s awareness presented by obstetrics and gynecologist Dr Lutty Amos.

Dr Lutty says since yesterday, there has been a good turnout of women coming in to check on their blood and sugar level.

More than 100 women living in and around the Bomana CIS community, outside Port Moresby, received cervical cancer screening and general medical checks today.

The 2 day community outreach program is geared towards minimizing cervical cancer cases in the country.

Although curable, cervical cancer continues to threaten the lives of many Papua New Guinean women. In PNG, 80 % of women diagnosed with the disease die while chances of survival remain very slim.