Arabic community champion cervical cancer elimination

Imagine never knowing someone who has been through cervical cancer. That future is now within reach.

With one of the lowest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in Australia, Victoria is a world leader in cervical cancer control. However, HPV immunisation and cervical screening rates are lowest in some priority communities, including multicultural communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people with disability. This means that there is a real risk for cervical cancer to be a disease of inequity.

“Women and people with a cervix from priority communities face a range of barriers to accessing screening, immunisation and timely treatment,” said Kate Broun, Head of Cancer Screening, Early Detection and Immunisation at Cancer Council Victoria.

“We are working closely with communities and community organisations to help address these barriers and ensure all Victorians are supported to protect themselves against cervical cancer.”

Our Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy has the bold ambition of equitably eliminating cervical cancer by 2035. This involves partnering with community organisations like Arabic Welfare Inc. to ensure that we bring everyone along on this journey.

Simar Amad, a Senior Community Development Officer at Arabic Welfare Inc. co-led our Community Champions initiative to promote cervical screening among Arabic-speaking women in Victoria, addressing disparities in screening access and behaviour.

“This champion model has had a big impact in our community,” said Simar. “We’ve created an environment where women feel safe and confident to talk freely and openly about a topic that is seen as taboo in our community.”

Over the last two years, 33 Arabic-speaking women were recruited as Community Champions and trained in bilingual sessions, receiving culturally tailored materials on cervical screening and self-collection. These Champions engaged with community members in informal conversations over several months.

“We’ve normalised the topic of cervical screening, and now women in our community have the confidence to talk about it and are encouraging each other to talk about it more,” said Simar.

In its first year, the project successfully reached over 400 women with vital messages about cervical cancer prevention and screening who may not have otherwise been reached.

“Now in its second year, the project has increased awareness and knowledge of cervical screening within this community,” shares Kate. “It has highlighted the effectiveness of community-led interventions in advancing cervical cancer prevention efforts.”

Proud supporters of this project, Freemasons Foundation Victoria see the importance of eliminating cervical cancer within a generation.

“At Freemasons Foundation Victoria, we are committed to supporting initiatives that improve the lives of Victorians. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be detected early and even prevented through regular screening and vaccination,” said Garry James, Chairman, Freemasons Foundation Board.

“We are proud to partner with Cancer Council Victoria and support their Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy, which will accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in Victoria by 2035, saving lives and advancing health outcomes for all.”

We all have a role to play in ensuring under-screened communities can come together and access the healthcare information and support they need to prevent, detect, and treat cervical cancer. With your kind support, every day we get one step closer to eliminating cervical cancer.