The Swire Group has donated AUD 25.9 million (approximately US$16.2 million) to the University of New South Wales’ Kirby Institute to support cervical cancer screening and treatment for over 130,000 women in seven Pacific nations: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. Rates of this deadly but preventable cancer in the Pacific are among the highest in the world, according to WHO statistics. Early detection through screening is vital, since most women with early cervical disease do not experience symptoms. Swire’s philanthropic investment in a region Swire Shipping has served for over 70 years is UNSW Sydney’s largest single donation in its history. It will enable the Kirby Institute to work with regional partners over the next five years, utilising advancements in cervical screening that enable women who present at clinics to self-test, with results available within an hour.
