Healthcare provider ProCare and cervical cancer charitable trust #SmearYourMea Trust have today announced a partnership to raise awareness of the importance of regular smear tests for wāhine, their whānau, hapori (communities) and the wider kapa haka community.

Specifically, the partnership seeks to raise awareness, promote advocacy and support through the detection, treatment, and prevention of cervical cancer for kaihaka (performers), whānau and hapori.

Bindi Norwell, Group Chief Executive at ProCare says: “While rates of screening have improved, wāhine Māori continue to have higher rates of cervical cancer than non-Māori women and are 2.5 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Māori women.

“This inequity is unacceptable, which is why we’ve partnered with #SmearYourMea to ensure we do everything we can to protect wāhine Māori and ensure that we provide different ways to promote key information and improve access to smears for wāhine in their community,” she continues.

Mihi Blair, Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori, Mana Taurite (General Manager – Māori Health and Equity) at ProCare, adds “A third of our wāhine Māori are less likely to attend a cervical cancer screening than non-Māori. So, this is an opportunity to adapt the health-care system to meet the cultural needs of our population across Tāmaki Makaurau and encouraging wāhine to access what is available.

“As well as supporting wāhine with smears throughout the ProCare General Practice network, this partnership will also see us working with #SmearYourMea to support wāhine and their whānau at Te Matatini 2023 with cervical screening, and HPV self-testing,” continues Blair.

Eruera Keepa, Chairman of #SmearYourMea and proud younger brother of the founder of Smear Your Mea, Talei Morrison, says: “Cervical cancer is one of the easiest cancers to prevent – as long as it’s detected early – which is why regular smear tests are so important.

“My sister had an unfortunate smear experience some years before she started to feel some pain, and by then, it was too late,” he continues.

“Our ultimate goal is to get 100% of kaihaka wāhine screened before every kapa haka regional and national competition, and working with an organisation such as ProCare will help us achieve this goal,” continues Eruera.

“This kaupapa is even more important now that we’re in a post-covid environment, as around 40,000 wāhine Māori didn’t receive their smear during lockdown due to issues around accessing healthcare. We’re determined to ensure history doesn’t repeat going forward and get as many wāhine as possible getting their smear test going forward,” he points out.

“We hope this partnership with ProCare honours Talei’s legacy,” concludes Eruera.

ProCare is at Te Matatini alongside Smear Your Mea, Turuki Health Care, National Hauora Coalition, Well Women and Family Trust and Te Whatu Ora, encouraging wāhine to smear their meas.