Interim Health MinisterJiko Luveni made the comments at the national launching of the HPV Immunization campaign against cervical cancer.
She said for the past decade, cervical cancer rates in Fiji had remained at a high and alarming rate from 40 to 60 cases per 100,000 women population.
“Majority of women diagnosed with cervical cancer eventually die of the disease within 12 months following diagnosis. The Fiji government through cabinet passed a motion to introduce and also facilitate the successful implementation of this new vaccine, Gardasil for the protection and prevention of our young girls in Fiji against this old enemy, cervical cancer,” Dr. Luveni said.
She said there were certain factors which contributed to the increasing trend of cervical cancer in Fiji.
“Human Papilloma Virus, the biological agent that causes most cervical cancer is commonly transmitted through skin contact and that includes sexual intimacy. The virus is a sexually transmitted infection and these remain a priority disease in Fiji based on the high rates of such infections like syphilis and gonorrhea,” she said.
She said the second cause was the low coverage of pap smear screening around the country.
“This service is very important as it prevents against the most common cancer in Fiji and was reaching only 10 percent of women in the childbearing age group. Despite the free availability of such screening services in Fiji, about 80 to 90 percent of our women are not screened or tested for any early changes to the cervix, which is a very cost effective and life saving procedure, this means that for every 100 women who are due for pap smear screening, only 10 women were screened, Luveni said.
She added that cervical cancer could now be prevented through immunization to protect children from childhood infections.
