Despite chemotherapy and oncology services being available at Labasa Hospital, women in Fiji’s Northern Division continue to face significant barriers to accessing cancer treatment, health officials warned during an International Women’s Day outreach in Labasa this week.
Mereoni Korovavala, oncology nursing unit manager at Labasa Hospital, told residents at the Banisucu mini outreach program that lack of information, fear of diagnosis and treatment, and financial hardship were among the main reasons some women did not seek care even when services existed. “We do see challenges,” she said, adding: “The most important thing is for them to come to the hospital so doctors can assess them and provide the best treatment.”
Korovavala outlined the types of chemotherapy available at Labasa Hospital, saying the unit provides treatment for breast cancer, bowel cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She acknowledged, however, that some patients—particularly those with breast cancer—still faced difficulties in accessing or continuing treatment. “With the help of the Fiji Cancer Society we are able to support these women and provide the assistance they need,” she said, pointing to partnerships that help bridge gaps for those who struggle financially or logistically.
The comments at Banisucu mark a fresh focus on the disparity between service availability and service uptake in the North. Korovavala said ongoing awareness campaigns and outreach programs were gradually encouraging more women to seek help early, but stressed that information and reassurance remained vital. Early presentation, she said, allows doctors to assess patients promptly and offer the most effective treatment options.
Financial hardship emerged as a recurring theme at the outreach. While Korovavala did not provide specific figures, she cited costs and related logistical challenges as deterrents—an issue health workers commonly encounter in remote and semi-urban communities where travel, lost income and treatment-related expenses can be prohibitive. Fear—both of the diagnosis itself and of the perceived toll of treatment—was another factor preventing women from presenting at health facilities.
The International Women’s Day event in Banisucu brought health messaging directly into the community and highlighted the role of local and civil-society partners in addressing barriers. Korovavala’s remarks underscore that health-service provision alone is not enough: targeted education, community engagement and financial and emotional support remain necessary to ensure women make use of available cancer services. The outreach reflects a broader push to improve early detection and treatment adherence across Fiji’s provinces, with health workers and NGOs continuing efforts to reduce delays that can worsen outcomes.
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