“Team Australia” pledge a combined $29.6 million for Cancer Quad Moonshot

21 Sept 2024 – Minderoo Foundation has announced a contribution of $13.1 million to ensure women and girls in the Indo-Pacific have greater access to lifesaving cervical cancer screening, vaccination and treatment.

The announcement was made today on the sidelines of the 2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit, held in Wilmington, Delaware, attended by the Prime Minister of Australia, the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of India, and the Prime Minister of Japan.

Dubbed the “Quad Cancer Moonshot”, Minderoo Foundation and the Australian government joined forces for a combined “Team Australia” contribution of $29.6 million, with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, committing $16.5 million.

The Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) is the largest ever initiative of its kind, leveraging Australian, international and in-country partner expertise to accelerate the World Health Organization’s strategy for the elimination of cervical cancer.

The EPICC consortium, led by Professor Karen Canfell AC, expands the success of the Eliminating Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific (ECCWP) project, which has led to sustainable cervical cancer interventions in Vanuatu and the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Minderoo was a cornerstone funder of the program – providing more than $8 million.

Professor Canfell said ECCWP had set Vanuatu and the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea on a path to cervical cancer elimination and was a catalyst for making the case to expand the work under the EPICC banner.

“Minderoo’s support is a gamechanger in cervical cancer elimination, with associated benefits in women’s and family health, and establishes a template for what could be achieved in other cancers as the evidence evolves,” Professor Canfell said.

Minderoo Foundation Founder Dr Andrew Forrest, in Delaware for the announcement, said the additional funding would see EPICC rolled out to up to 11 countries.

“It is a true privilege to stand beside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today and announce Team Australia’s contribution to the Quad Cancer Moonshot,” Dr Forrest said.

“Minderoo Foundation envisages an Indo-Pacific – and indeed a world – where cervical cancer is consigned to the history books.

“It is the role of philanthropy and government to work in partnership to take advances in health to scale, democratising access to life saving health innovations.

“I think it is fitting that this announcement was made at The Quad, which is all about making a positive contribution to the Indo-Pacific by delivering practical outcomes that respond to the region’s priorities.”

Minderoo Founder Nicola Forrest AO said today’s announcement brought the Foundation’s total contribution to EPICC to almost $22 million.

“Cervical cancer is an entirely preventable and curable disease – yet it is one that unfairly affects women living in developing nations through no fault of their own,” Mrs Forrest said.

“The expanded program will see more than 160,000 women screened over the next four years, the establishment of national elimination programs and the empowerment of governments to sustain the program for future generations of women and girls.

“This funding will help eliminate the suffering of millions of women in low- and middle-income countries by making sure they have access to life-saving services.”