Rachael Smith is a Senior Project Officer within the Asia and Pacific Health Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney. Rachael is experienced in health program management, and has worked on various projects across rural Australia and the Pacific for more than 10 years. Rachael supports the cervical cancer elimination program of work led by Professor Andrew Vallely and Vanessa Price in the Asia and Pacific Health Program, including:
- The Elimination of Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific program (ECCWP), a partnership between the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, Vanuatu Ministry of Health, Vanuatu Family Health Association and Australian partners: the Daffodil Centre (a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and The University of Sydney), the Australian Centre for Cervical Cancer Prevention, and Family Planning Australia. The program aims to set Vanuatu and the Western Highlands Province of PNG on the path to cervical cancer elimination, putting the WHO triple intervention strategy into practice.
- The Elimination Partnership in Cervical Cancer (EPICC), a four-year program co-designed with partner governments to undertake a range of cervical cancer control activities in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on capacity building, sustainability and equity. EPICC is supported by the Australian Government under the Partnerships for a Healthy Region (PHR) initiative.
Rachael is the Country Lead for Papua New Guinea, and is supporting cervical cancer screen and treat programs in Western Highlands, New Ireland, Southern Highlands, Hela, Madang and National Capital District.