Leading health organisations join forces for Australian Government’s new campaign to boost cervical screening in underserved communities
For the first time in history, four of Australia’s leading health organisations have joined forces with the Australian Government to ensure no one is left behind as Australia works towards eliminating cervical cancer. The Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC), the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), ACON and the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative have united for the Australian Government’s first national cervical screening campaign in over 20 years, entitled ‘Own It‘, to improve cervical screening rates by highlighting Australia’s world-leading HPV self-collect test.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with lead creative agency Untold Fable, multicultural creative agency Cultural Perspectives, First Nations creative agencies Nani Creative and Lush, PR agency Sling & Stone and digital agency Grade.
Australia is set to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer in 2035, but some groups in the community are screening at lower rates than others.
Women and people with a cervix from First Nations, multicultural, LGBTQ+ communities and those with a disability are less likely to do their potentially life-saving cervical screening test.
More than 70% of cervical cancers occur in people who have never screened or aren’t up to date with their screening. Routine screening every five years is crucial for early detection and prevention for all women and people with a cervix from age 25 to 74.
The self-collect test is helping women overcome previous barriers to screening, such as fear of the speculum or concerns of having a doctor collect a sample, enabling women to screen for the first time. In the first half of 2024 alone, nearly 20,000 first time screeners opted to self-collect. At the same time, 37,500 over-due screeners did a self-collected test.
The Own It campaign draws on the expertise of the four organisations to focus on these under screened communities, and the healthcare providers who serve them, to raise awareness of the self-collect option to get more people screening.
The campaign, directed by Selina Miles, tells the real-life stories and experiences of 16 women and people with a cervix from First Nations, multicultural and LGBTQIA+ communities, and those with disability, to encourage others to screen.
Campaign materials have been translated into four languages; Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.
The Australian Government has provided $10.2 million to implement the campaign.
Says Assistant Minister Ged Kearney MP: “The Albanese Labor Government is determined to be the first in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, we’ll get there by making sure no one is left behind.
“Self-collection is key to achieving that goal as it will help us screen women who have previously refused or resisted screening – be it through cultural safety, inaccessibility or preference. The quick and simple swab is easy, private, and game-changing in getting more women screened.
“The Albanese Labor Government is investing in this campaign and partnering with these organisations for the first time to speak to these women directly, with their real-life stories, in their languages and their voices.”
Says Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO): “The national campaign is a significant step forward in raising awareness about cervical screening within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
“It builds on the successful implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) self collection already taking place in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.”
Says Professor Marion Saville AM, Executive Director and Public Officer of the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer: “Through the focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural communities, this campaign is vital in achieving the aims of the National Elimination Strategy, which identified the need to place a greater focus and more effort to achieve equity of access to culturally safe and inclusive cervical cancer prevention services.
“We’ve already seen a massive change in the past few months in the confidence of healthcare providers to offer the self-collection option.
“Before learning about self-collection, 47% healthcare providers did not think the option was as accurate as a clinician-collected test, but following education from ACPCC, approximately 80% now understand that it is accurate and 82% said they would offer it to more eligible patients.
Says a spokesperson from Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative: “As an organisation that partners with multicultural communities, the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative knows how important it is for everyone to feel empowered and informed about their health choices.
“The Own It cervical screening campaign is a vital initiative that brings much-needed attention to self-collection as a safe and effective choice for women from all backgrounds.”
“By making cervical screening more accessible and culturally sensitive, this campaign will help ensure that more women, especially those from our diverse communities, take control of their health and wellbeing.”
Says Michael Woodhouse, Chief Executive Officer at ACON: “This new and innovative national campaign builds on ACON’s original New South Wales-focused cervical screening campaign which ran in 2023, and was supported by the Cancer Institute NSW. The new national campaign takes the same authentic approach to delivering adapted and tailored messages for a broader national audience.
“The campaign is based on the experiences of real people who have overcome barriers to cervical screening by choosing how their cervical screening test is done. The campaign promotes options and choices including using the self-collection swab, finding a doctor they can trust, and educating themselves to address misinformation.”
Client/s:
Department of Health of Health and Aged Care
ACON
Michael Woodhouse, Deputy CEO
Matthew Vaughan, Director HIV and Sexual Health
Scott Walsberger, Cancer Programs Manager
Ana Varua, National Campaign Coordinator
Juan Dueñas, National Campaign Planner
Emily Spencer, Digital Engagement and Campaign Producer
Eric Lee, Digital Content Producer
Alison Guo, Community Engagement Officer
Creative and strategy:
Untold Fable, lead creative agency
Kate Tancred, CEO
Rosie Robertson, Head of Client Services
Lucy Perrett, Client Services
James Wright,
Cultural Perspectives, multicultural creative agency
Sarah Migliorino, Director Communications
Eman Mourad, Senior Engagement Consultant
Anna Abourizk, Account Manager
Rea Singh, Director Engagement
Nani Creative / Lush, First Nations creative agency
Kevin Wilson, Creative Director at Nani Creative
Leigh Wood, Design Director at Nani Creative
Kate Elder, Strategy at Nani Creative
Clare Reid, CEO, Writer, Strategist at Lush
Sling & Stone, PR agency
Grade, digital/website agency
Matt Bachle, Founder and CEO
Justine Marino, General Manager
Kylie Anderson, Production and Operations
Adam Robertson, Technical Director
Production:
Selina Miles, Director/DOP
Scott Heldorf, AC
James Wright, Producer
Lucy Perrett, Client Services
Emily Laverello, Photographer
Rebecca Seeto, Photographer’s Asst/DIT
Aaliyah Bradbury, Voice Over Director
Hannah Lehmann, BTS Director
Louis Godbold, BTS Shooter
Lara Cross, Sound Engineer (VO Crew)
Kate Toohey, Sound Technician (BTS Crew)
Aisha Philips Green, Art Director
Lachie Brown, Art Assistant
Mirco Guidon, Gaffer
Bek Dotty, HMU
Katja Imholz, Production Assistant
Jay Kastle, Production Assistant
Simon Rodgers, Editor
James Baines, Creative Director
Gregg Maxwell, Cameraman (Cairns Crew)
Jade Turnbull, Talent Management (Cairns Crew)
Shaun O’Brien, Sound Recordist (Cairns Crew)
Talent:
Asha Prasad
Deborah Quilici Peluso
Diala Yazbeck
Intisar Al-rikabi
Karen Clinch
Karen Lonsdale
Khwanruethai Ngampromwongse
Kirti Chopra
Lowanna Allen
Mathéo Zerbib
Natesha Somasundaram
Nishi Puri
Riva Hu
Vivian Dinh
Wendy Xu
Nerelle Nicol
Rosemarie Thorne
Samantha Martin
Media: Customedia
Toby Roderick, Partner and Strategist
Melissa Collakides, Group Account Director
Carlos Alvarez, Media Planner
Cristobal Morano, Data Scientist
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