Stigma and silence: Fiji warned as prostate cancer becomes leading cause of cancer deaths

96 percent of Fijian men had never been tested, and by 2018, prostate cancer had overtaken cervical cancer as Fiji’s leading cause of cancer deaths.

This was revealed by the Director for Pacific Laboratory Specialist, Josese Mailulu, during a Movember awareness gathering hosted by the Ministry of Information in Suva yesterday.

Mailulu says 60 men lost in a year means 60 households are suddenly without a breadwinner, and has stressed for urgent action to break the silence surrounding men’s health.

Mailulu says that while outreach efforts by Pacific Laboratory Specialist, Otago University and the Suva Golden Oldies show the life-saving potential of early detection, the stigma around cancer testing persists.

He noted that the message is just as important for women, with 92 cervical cancer deaths each year, and adds that lowering the cost of tests is intended to make screening more accessible and affordable.

Central to the gathering were the Suva Golden Oldies, a rugby club of proud 64 and 65-year-old men who have spent the past 12 years fighting a very different battle off the field.

Represented by Simione Rasova and Etika Rupeni, the group travels to villages and remote communities, offering prostate cancer tests for just $30–$35 and starting conversations that many men are still hesitant to have.

Their mission is simple but urgent: encourage Fijian men, who traditionally stay silent about their health, to get screened early.

Minister for Information, Lynda Tabuya says when a disease becomes too “taboo” to talk about, it becomes easier for it to take lives and silence is no longer an option.

She pledged ministry support through voluntary screenings for staff and neighbouring communities, calling the move a cultural turning point — one where open conversations and simple blood tests can protect families across the country.