Professor Ian Frazer and Dr Margaret McAdam have been actively working in Vanuatu for over 10 years now to help save women from the death and suffering caused by cervical cancer, the most common cause of cancer death for women in Vanuatu. Since 2015, The Frazer Family Foundation, directly funded the vaccination of 3000 girls and also enabled the screening of 5000 women using advanced HPV testing years before it became the standard mode of cervical screening in Australia in December 2017. The installation of more than $45,000 worth of lab equipment to the Vila Central Hospital in 2016 & 2017 has helped ensure pathology and histology are both accessible and timely, while diagnosis and treatment are available when they’re needed most.
ACCF’s work in Vanuatu through Dr Margaret McAdam has resulted in the cervical cancer vaccination program now being the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. COVID-19 precautions have temporarily interrupted cervical screening clinics, but they will continue in Port Vila and on Santo as soon as it is safe to do so.
You can donate to the Vanuatu Project here
