SWIRE Group has donated $25.9 million to the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) to support cervical cancer screening and treatment for more than 130,000 women in the Pacific Islands.
UNSW said this is the largest single philanthropic donation in its history, targeting one of the deadliest preventable cancers in the Pacific.
The funding will enable the UNSW Kirby Institute to work with Australian and regional partners to screen and treat women in Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Swire Group is headquartered in the UK, but it has a presence in the Asia-Pacific region through itss wholly owned private entity Swire Shipping.
“We are delighted to support the Kirby Institute, who have an excellent reputation in the region for highly impactful research conducted in partnership with local leaders, communities, and organisations,” John Swire and Sons executive director Sam Swire said.
“Through Swire Shipping we have been serving the Pacific Island nations for over 70 years. Tragically, in the Pacific, women are dying from a disease that is preventable, and this programme targets its elimination,” he said.
Rates of cervical cancer in the Pacific are among the highest in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with Pacific women up to 14 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than women in Australia.
Prime Minister of Samoa Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa said it is devastating to women, families and entire communities across the region.
“This generous investment will enable countries like Samoa to partner with the Kirby Institute to advance our vision of a world free of cervical cancer,” she said.
UNSW said the Swire Group grant will build on the successes of the earlier Eliminating Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacificprogram funded by the Australian Minderoo Foundation and complement the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancerprogram funded by the Australian government.
UNSW Sydney vice-chancellor and president Attila Brungs said, “Through the generosity of the Swire Group, the commitment of Pacific country health departments, the tireless work of communities and services on the ground, and the expertise and support of UNSW’s Kirby Institute, we are moving towards a future where cervical cancer is no longer a threat to women.” Swire Group said its dedication to supporting local Pacific communities is
