A young girl receives the HPV vaccination.Steamships has been funding Spacim Pikinini Incorporation ("SPI") since June 2019, supporting the charity's efforts to raise awareness of cervical cancer and provide free vaccinations for young girls in Papua New Guinea. The funding supports SPI's work in partnership with Boroko Rotary Club and the National Health Department and targets primary schoolgirls in Milne Bay Province. Cervical cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer amongst PNG women, with thousands dying from the disease annually. With the availability of a safe, highly effective vaccine for HPV – the virus that causes the cancer – it is hoped that unnecessary deaths will be reduced, with the long-term goal of eventually eliminating cervical cancer. The funding initiative is supported by the Steamships Community Grants Programme, and will be continued in 2020.
