Sydney, Nov 1 (IANS): A Sydney university has launched a new initiative to boost screening and treatment for cervical cancer in the South Pacific.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney on Friday announced that its world-leading health research institute, the Kirby Institute, has received 25.9 million Australian dollars ($17.04 million) in a donation to support vital cervical cancer screening and treatment services for over 130,000 women in the south Pacific region.

The donation, the single largest in the history of UNSW Sydney, was made by global conglomerate the Swire Group and would enable the Kirby Institute to work with regional partners to conduct cervical cancer screening, reports Xinhua news agency.

Cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the South Pacific region.

The vast majority, 99 per cent, of cervical cancer cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Most women with HPV infection do not experience symptoms, making screening, which looks for HPV and abnormal cells, crucial for early detection.

The cervical cancer incidence and mortality rate in Australia has fallen by half since the introduction of the government-funded National Cervical Screening Program in 1991.