Screen South’s Pasifika Health Promoter, Sharon Malietoa, has maintained a strong relationship with Etu Pasifika Christchurch with the purpose of promoting safe, comfortable, and culturally accommodating forms of screening for the local Pacific community in Canterbury.
“The purpose of screenings is to detect cancer before our women and men have any symptoms. This makes it easier to treat and improve one’s chances of survival. This should be a top priority for all of us especially if we have cancer in our family.”
As health promoters within our communities, to raise screening awareness is a top priority for our team. As a Pasifika promoter, we are here to deliver the screening programmes that I truly believe can save that one person of our wider community. This is the heart work that affirms why I love working in this role.”
Etu Pasifika Christchurch and Screen South have worked together to ensure targets for women to get a mammogram have been met and achieved. Nationally, Pasifika and Māori women are at the forefront of experiencing significant inequities in outcomes and barriers around accessible health care and cancer screening.
General Manager for Screen South, Louise McCarthy, shed some light on confronting statistics that affirmed the importance of Pasifika Clinicians and promoters to keep working on the mission of supporting our communities.
“Nationally, approximately 170 Pasifika women are diagnosed with invasive cancer each year. Pasifika women have a higher proportion of breast cancer diagnoses under the age of 45 compared with other ethnic groups. Current coverage data shows that we have a lot of work to do to reach and engage our Pasifika women in breast screening and to close the equity gap.”
Director of Nursing for Etu Pasifika Christchurch, Matty Teata, says her hopes are for conversations around breast cancer to be normalised.
“I’d like us to normalise conversations and inclusion of grandmothers, mothers and daughters lived experiences. This encourages the hope that these discussions will continue in homes, churches, and communities.
The focus for all providers should be empowering women to stay engaged in their screening programmes so they continue and feel comfortable with their regular screening check ups. I would like to see 90% of our Pasifika women screened and the rates of cancer diagnoses to reduce.”
Pastor Olivia Tusa was a guest speaker at the event and shared about her experience at one of the collaborative screening events between Etu Pasifika Christchurch and Screen South.
“I had my own preconceived ideas of what it may look like and what I may expect having worked in the field before, but I was pleasantly surprised at the warm reception and atmosphere of the clinic. The key to get us Pasifika women to participate in the screening clinics such as these is through partnership and collaboration.
With most routine screening check-ups there is an average of two to three years in between so the key is to find ways on staying connected with our women. It’s important to positively promote, engage, and deliver these services for our communities.”
Clinical Director for Etu Pasifika Christchurch, Dr Monica Nua-George, expressed the importance of maintaining positive relationships and collaboration as a means of demonstrating a commitment to our Pacific communities.
The team at Etu look forward to playing their part in helping Pacific communities access general screening services and enhancing the livelihood, well-being, and quality of life for our people.
Date: Monday 31 October 2022
#etupasifika #pmafamily
