HELP
WANTED
FIJI!
An advertisement requesting help
to install the ThinPrep® system in
Fiji might conjure up images like this.
The reality was somewhat different.
Holly Simmons, AU Managing Director, Australia, Sales
Welcome to cytology, Fiji style.
In 2010, Fiji—a Pacific island nation with a population of 876,000—made an important decision that
would impact the country for decades to come. In light of its poor cytology lab conditions—and despite
recent coups resulting in the repeal of its constitution and suspension from the Commonwealth—Fiji
decided to upgrade its cervical cancer screening program to include liquid-based cytology. In doing
so, it surpassed Australia!
This was no small undertaking. Even though Fiji boasts a diverse economy, it has been hampered by
persistent trade and budget deficits, making it one of the world’s largest per capita recipients of aid.
What’s more, cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in Fijian women, with 87%
of cases resulting in death—among the highest globally, indicating that disease is often detected at a
late stage. Yet only 20,000 tests are performed annually—on just 8% of its total population.
Fiji is one of Australia and New Zealand’s closest neighbours with a true need for cervical cancer
screening improvements; the calling of any Hologic regional team? Certainly!
Stuart Dobson, Director of Diagnostic Sales and
Applications, ANZ to go the next step. They visited
Fijian government officials on several occasions.
Buoyed by the support from the cytology team at
the hospital’s lab, Ian and Stuart uncovered its entire
needs, from space to temperature control issues
to substantial technical support and training needs.
To demonstrate how Hologic could work within the
space constraint, they brought a T2000 processor
to Fiji and placed it in the laboratory. Before one
could say “Ni sa yadra” (Good morning), the T2000
was installed and Fiji’ s first-ever ThinPrep Pap test
was processed!
From discussions between Hologic and Australian pathologists doing occasional cytopathology
locums in Fiji, the idea of implementing the ThinPrep imaging system was born. Many visits over
the next three years, patience and continuous contact brought this opportunity to reality to Suva’s
Colonial Memorial War Memorial Hospital Laboratory. Here’s the story.
The Hologic ANZ team goes the extra mile
Michelle and Corey Vella, then National Sales
Manager for surgical and diagnostics, flew to Fiji’s
capital of Suva in May 2011, and presented on
ThinPrep to the Health Minister and other health
professionals. That set the stage for Ian Dowdall,
Business Development Manager, New Zealand and
>
In Fiji, the quality of conventional Pap smears
was poor with many cases impacted by heavy
inflammation due, in part, to prevalent infections
potentially associated with higher rates of sexually
transmitted infections, such as Trichomonas
vaginalis. Michelle Blackwell, now the ANZ
Diagnostic Product Specialist, was convinced
the ThinPrep imaging system could help change
this, especially after she volunteered her 2010
Christmas break to screen 500 conventional
Pap tests from Fiji.
Stuart demonstrating the T2000 to Nesia Refaela – Nov 2012.
10 | IMPACT
APRIL 2014