06/06/2026
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Hearing "cancer" is like a cold wind through the body. It is shocking, frightening, and hard to name. The first moments are a blur. Your throat tightens, your heart races, and your mind searches for answers that do not come. Comfort can feel thin. Confidence can vanish. You are pulled out of the life you knew and forced to rethink what matters. Yet in the middle of that fear, people find strength, support, and reasons to keep going.
Today we honour survivors, caregivers, and families across Papua New Guinea. Over the next three days, we will share three stories. One story per day. You will meet Bertha, Carole, and Elizabeth. Three women who have walked this road. Each will share what cancer taught them, what carried them through, and what they need from the rest of us.
Because cancer changes everything. But early detection changes outcomes. The Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation, mandated by the National Department of Health, focuses on primary prevention, early detection, and screening. These steps save lives.
So here is what we are asking. Listen to these stories. Share them with your workplace, your family, and your community. Then act.
Talk to your family about warning signs. Ask your workplace to introduce cancer awareness into induction processes, to provide guidance on navigating screening pathways, and to support leave allowances for screenings and treatment. Urge policy makers to make screening available to more people.
PNG can reduce late stage diagnoses. Together.
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