The third World Indigenous Cancer Conference held 17-20 April 2024 here in Narrm, Melbourne, was a landmark meeting attended by 621 international delegates, all working together to reduce cancer disparities for Indigenous peoples around the world.
The conference provided a unique opportunity to identify international research priorities, foster new collaboration, enhance capacity, and share knowledge and information about Indigenous people living with cancer on a global scale.
Delegates from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds and cultures were in attendance. Community leaders, researchers, specialists, policymakers, consumers, social scientists, clinicians and other professionals working in cancer-related fields made the journey from around Australia as well as Canada, France, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A moving opening ceremony set the scene for an unforgettable gathering, underpinned by a unique sense of openness and mutual respect amongst attendees. The welcome to Wurundjeri lands was given by Uncle Tony Garvey, and the conference boomerang, created in 2016 for the inaugural WICC, was presented to Conference Convenor A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths (VCCC Alliance Research And Education Lead, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health) and Professor Tom Calma AO by previous convenors, Lea Bill and Dr Angeline Letendre, who spearheaded the WICC in 2019 in Calgary, Canada
The Victorian Government sponsored the event and was represented by The Hon Mary Anne-Thomas MP, who was visibly moved by the energy in the room and shared this observation in her opening remarks: “This will be a pivotal platform for further discussion and action in promoting equity in outcomes for First Nations people worldwide”.
SBS was on hand on Day One, and interviewed WICC founder Professor Gail Garvey, A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths and Professor Grant McArthur AO, VCCC Alliance CEO, to get their views on how closing the gap in cancer control – particularly lung and cervical cancer – is going. View the interview here.
The centrality of culture was clear throughout the WICC, starting before the official conference began with an Elders and Youth yarning circle. Priorities identified in these forums were then shared in the opening session for delegates to carry through the conference. They included support for families and carers, indigenous leadership, prevention and screening, prevention messaging, pathway navigation, personalised care, and traditional medicine.
What followed was a packed program full of plenary and breakout sessions addressing both challenges and progress across the cancer continuum, from prevention and screening to survivorship and palliative care. Several critical topics were covered, with a particular focus on lung cancer and cervical cancer which are the source of current challenges in Indigenous cancer around the world.
Yarning circles were also held throughout the three days, providing an informal setting to discuss salient topics and enable delegates to offer and listen to different perspectives.
Conference Convenor A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths said the conference has been ‘extremely successful’:
“Aboriginal people’s poorer cancer outcomes are a result of limited access to health services, longer waiting periods, inadequate representation of Aboriginal professionals, and a distrust of the health system.
Core to the success of WICC is the centering of Indigenous voices recognising that Indigenous people know what is required to ensure the health and well-being of themselves and their communities.
It has seen change in practice, continued engagements and building global collaborations. It has illuminated partnerships with cancer services and research programs that worked.”
A/Prof Griffiths says the global event has had a tangible impact on outcomes for Indigenous people:
“Closing the cancer gap requires understanding where we are at on the international stage.
We have seen a range of innovations and exciting processes in the developments within nations - such as the cervical screening program, and the emerging lung cancer screening work in Australia. Both have major impact on the early diagnosis of cancers and therefore the effect on improving outcomes for Indigenous peoples here and elsewhere.”
The World Indigenous Cancer Conference was officially covered by Croakey Media. Go in-depth and experience the conference from a range of perspectives with the following articles, including interviews and reports, and social media round-ups of the three-day event.
An introduction to the conference with first impressions and interviews with participants on their motivations and aspirations. Why are we are, and where do we want to go?
Explore how the three interrelated conference themes of Process, Progress and Power were woven throughout the plenary presentations, as global leaders in Indigenous cancer care spoke their truths to motivate, challenge and inspire the delegates.
A recurrent theme at WICC was the importance of Indigenous ways of being and doing, Indigenous leadership and Indigenous knowledges being central to every aspect of the cancer continuum. In this report, Danielle Manton provides examples of this vital key to making progress.
