The Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer has partnered with the ROSE Foundation to support the launch of a landmark Australia–Malaysia initiative aimed at eliminating cervical cancer.
Launched in Kuala Lumpur, the Elimination Partnership in the Indo‑Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) brings together Australian and Malaysian governments, health leaders and technical experts to strengthen cervical cancer prevention, screening, treatment and health systems. The launch was officiated by Malaysia’s Director‑General of Health and the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, highlighting the shared commitment of both countries to cervical cancer elimination.
Funded by the Australian Government, EPICC is a regional initiative supporting Indo‑Pacific countries to accelerate progress towards the World Health Organization’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.
In Malaysia, EPICC will be implemented by ROSE Foundation in partnership with ACPCC through a three‑year program (2026–2028), operationalising a Memorandum of Understanding with Malaysia’s Ministry of Health. The program focuses on capacity building, digital health registries, technical assistance, community engagement and coordinated multi‑stakeholder support to expand equitable access to screening and care nationwide.
The EPICC consortium includes the University of Sydney, ACPCC, the Kirby Institute, Family Planning Australia, Unitaid, and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. Building on the success of Program ROSE, which has screened more than 39,000 women, ACPCC and ROSE are working together to help make cervical cancer a disease of the past in Malaysia and across the Indo‑Pacific.
