The Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr Luisa Cikamatana made this comment at the opening of the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) Multi-Country Palliative Care Integration Workshop at Novotel, Lami.
Dr Cikamatana says that while vaccination and screening are progressing, the clinical realities remain.
She says many women continue to present with advanced disease, and this makes palliative care an essential component of the national response, not an optional add-on.
She stressed that eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem is not just achieved through prevention but requires a full continuum of care.
Dr Cikamatana says palliative care is clinical care and includes effective pain management, symptom control and psychosocial support delivered alongside treatment.
She says integrating it strengthens the quality of care, improves patient outcomes and ensures that no woman is left without dignity or comfort.
Dr Cikamatana emphasised that the workshop serves as an important platform for both clinical and system-level action.
She says leaders, policymakers and frontline providers have a responsibility to translate knowledge into integrated national policies, clear clinical pathways, strengthened referral systems and a skilled and confident workforce.
She says we must move from intention to implementation, ensuring that palliative care is embedded within our health system at all levels.
Dr Cikamatana encouraged participants to share openly, learn from each other and focus on practical, scalable solutions that improve care at the bedside.
She says the Ministry remains committed to ensuring that cervical cancer elimination is defined not only by reduced incidence but also by how well every woman is cared for across the disease continuum.
Meanwhile, University of Sydney and Deputy Lead of the EPICC programme, Professor Deborah Bateson stressed that no woman should die in pain from cervical cancer.
Professor Bateson says cervical cancer remains a cancer of inequity, with significant differences in cancer incidence and death rates across countries in the region, including Fiji.
She says cervical cancer often affects women in the prime of their lives when they are part of the workforce and caring for young children.
Professor Bateson stressed that women who are diagnosed too late for treatment or are unable to travel overseas for treatment must still receive quality care.
She says strengthening palliative care benefits not only cervical cancer patients but also people living with other cancers and serious illnesses.
She adds that awareness remains critical because cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with almost all cases linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Professor Bateson says that while vaccination programmes targeting young girls are crucial, it will take decades before the full benefits are seen because cervical cancer generally affects women in their 30s and 40s.
She says screening and awareness of symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding are essential to ensure cancers are detected earlier.
She also highlighted the significance of the Fiji workshop, saying it may be the first of its kind in the world to bring together clinicians, nurses, midwives, doctors, community health workers and policymakers to focus on integrating palliative care into cervical cancer services.
She says no woman should be left behind in the journey towards eliminating cervical cancer.
