Pacific peoples have high incidence and mortality for a range of cancers, especially those associated with infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis B and HPV. There is also growing evidence of some cancers associated with obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity. Tobacco and alcohol consumption remains very high among the Pacific people and is an important cause of cancer incidence disparity.
In this webinar, Dr Viliami Puloka discusses Pasifika’s perspective/approaches, with people at the centre, not the system:
- Focus on what Pasifika people are doing well, e.g. Immunisation/vaccination (for HPV and Hepatitis B)
- Work with churches, especially those that include alcohol and tobacco consumption as part of their doctrine/teaching.
- Utilise indigenous Pasifika cultural values to guide and inform cancer-related programmes.
- Respect
- Holistic/collective
- Reciprocity (relationship)
- Consensus
- Inter-dependent