The Remarkable Story of How Timor-Leste Is Tackling Cervical Cancer

Podcast: The Morning Edition
Host: Samantha Selinger-Morris
Guests: Kate Geraghty (Photojournalist), Kate Aubusson (Health Editor)
Date: January 25, 2026

Overview

This episode of The Morning Edition explores Timor-Leste’s inspiring and urgent efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, a disease that remains a devastating and largely untreated threat for many women in the country. Host Samantha Selinger-Morris is joined by journalist Kate Aubusson and photojournalist Kate Geraghty, who recently traveled to Timor-Leste to document the impact of cervical cancer and the transformative work being done by the Australian-backed EPIC program (Elimination Partnership in the Indo Pacific for Cervical Cancer). Through personal stories, expert insights, and on-the-ground reporting, the episode highlights the country's cultural resilience, health challenges, and the hope sparked by global collaboration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Devastating Impact of Cervical Cancer in Timor-Leste

• Legacy of Conflict – The country’s recent history of brutal conflict has shaped a culture of enduring pain and admiring resilience, but also led to under-resourced healthcare and stigma around cancer.
  [00:05]

• Late-Stage Diagnosis is Common – Most women do not seek medical care until cervical cancer is very advanced, often equating a diagnosis with a death sentence.
  [03:20]

  • "It’s frankly deplorable that in Australia we’re on track to eliminating this deadly disease by 2035... and some of our closest neighbours still have young women dying of this cancer who are not seeking medical treatment until it’s far too late." — Kate Aubusson [03:20]

• Stigma and Tradition – Many in Timor-Leste consult traditional healers before seeking medical care, contributing to late diagnosis and high mortality.
  [05:39]

Personal Stories Illustrating the Crisis

• Philomena and Maria: Three Generations Impacted

  • Philomena’s mother Maria, a nurse, died of cervical cancer despite having health literacy; she delayed treatment, sought traditional healers, and ultimately died after inadequate care and a misdiagnosis abroad.
  • Her death galvanized Philomena to prioritize screening and vaccination for herself and her daughter.
  • EPIC’s comprehensive approach (vaccination, screening, and treatment) is the first to address all WHO pillars for elimination.
    [05:39]
  • "She cared for her mother’s grave lovingly... what was really heartbreaking about that was here we have three generations of women... and Maria, despite being a nurse, still delayed for years getting her symptoms seen to." — Kate Aubusson [05:39]

• Olga and Maya: The Human Cost of Health Inequity

  • Both women are receiving palliative care for advanced cancer, facing pain, stigma, and lack of understanding about their disease.
  • Dr. Zeto, a local gynaecologist, is emotionally exhausted by repeated deaths of women he cannot save, highlighting systemic frustration.
    [09:16]
  • "He broke down at one point and just said to us, 'I can’t keep seeing women die. I just can’t keep experiencing this.'" — Kate Aubusson [11:04]

EPIC Program: Structure and Hope

• Comprehensive, On-the-Ground Support

  • EPIC adapts to each country’s needs; in Timor-Leste, it established screen-and-treat clinics where women self-collect samples. Results are processed in portable machines, enabling same-day diagnosis and treatment.
  • The program also supports lab upgrades, professional training, and improved palliative care, including opioid access for pain management.
    [15:16]

• Culture of Endurance vs. Need for Compassionate Care

  • A strong tradition of suppressing pain (“no one complains, but no one should suffer”) further complicates timely diagnosis and quality of life for patients.
  • "There's a lot of resilience in Timor… We’ve been through a lot, and there’s this culture around pain that we should tough out. No one complains, but no one should suffer." — Julia Da Costa, PhD student [17:47]

National Priorities and Transformational Leadership

• Rapid Health Policy Development Post-Independence

  • Timor-Leste, newly independent as of 1999, has prioritized cervical cancer elimination astonishingly quickly — a testament both to government commitment and community willpower.
  • "On a scale of really life changing and important policies… to have the eradication of cervical cancer right up there as a top priority… is beyond impressive. Take a bow, Timor-Leste, really." — Kate Geraghty [19:47]

• Grassroots Commitment

  • Success is attributed to local healthcare workers, midwives, and ministry officials, who persevere despite natural disasters and basic infrastructure challenges.
  • "There is such a will, such a will to save these women’s lives and they will stop at nothing. It’s really remarkable." — Kate Aubusson [20:53]

• Vaccination Success:

  • In the first drive, 90% of 11–14 year-old girls were vaccinated, laying the foundation for vastly reduced future incidence.
    [21:45]

Why Australia Invests in the Region

• Moral and Scientific Leadership

  • Australia invented the cervical cancer vaccine, leads global research, and feels a responsibility to extend these advances to its neighbours, especially given the regional proximity and disparity.
    [22:59]
  • "I can completely understand a cervical cancer expert looking further afield… and an 85 minute flight away, young women are still dying of it. We need to do something about this." — Kate Aubusson [22:59]

• Scalability and Global Health Diplomacy

  • Early funding successes by the EPIC team, coupled with government and philanthropic support, have made Timor-Leste a model for regional cervical cancer elimination.
    [23:48]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If any country is going to achieve some truly remarkable things, it's going to be Timor Leste.” — Kate Aubusson [02:16]
• “There is no one in Timor Leste who has not had some experience with this cancer, whether it’s a mother or a sister, a friend.” — Kate Aubusson [05:39]
• “You can’t photograph or meet people like these ladies without walking away and feeling, you know, something could have been done earlier or it’s preventable.” — Kate Geraghty [09:16]
• “These are obstacles that should not exist and they certainly don’t exist in Australia. And so I cannot imagine what it’s like for someone like Dr. Zeto…” — Kate Aubusson [12:30]
• On policy priorities: “It comes down to the people. It really does... There is just so much resilience and so much commitment to the cause there... We will leave no woman behind.” — Kate Aubusson [20:53]
• “Take a bow, Timor-Leste, really.” — Kate Geraghty [19:47]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05 — Introduction, history of conflict, cultural legacy
• 03:20 — Disparity in treatment outcomes, urgency of early detection
• 05:39 — Philomena and Maria’s story, the impact of stigma and delay
• 09:16 — Meeting patients Maya and Olga; emotional impact on healthcare workers
• 11:04 — Dr. Zeto’s exhaustion, systemic barriers
• 15:16 — EPIC program structure, rapid on-site diagnosis & treatment
• 17:47 — Cultural toughness and pain, challenge of opioid access
• 19:47 — Timor-Leste’s policy achievements since independence
• 20:53 — The will of local people, vaccination success
• 22:59 — Australia’s moral and scientific investment

Conclusion

This episode draws a vivid, compassionate portrait of a country facing a preventable health crisis with exceptional courage and resolve. Timor-Leste’s determination, supported by local leaders and international partnerships, offers hope that cervical cancer will soon be a disease of the past for this young nation. The Australian-backed EPIC program emerges as a blueprint for meaningful, adaptable, and scalable health interventions worldwide.