Health information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Growing up in Indonesia, Dr Mitha Eka lost 2 aunties to cervical cancer before she knew the disease was largely preventable. The gap between what women in Indonesia need to know and what they’re told is now the driving force behind her work.
This Women’s Health Week, Mitha talks about the power of education, tackling taboos and getting the word out that cervical cancer is highly preventable.
I was born and raised in Bali and have always been fascinated by how people learn. My mum was a lecturer at university and she would often take me and my sisters to work with her because she couldn’t afford a nanny. She’d teach lessons in biology and I remember thinking this is so cool – it was the start of my love of learning.
In high school, I joined the debate club where I learnt to ask questions, think critically and explore polarising health issues, like abortion.
By 2018, after I completed my masters in Java, I got a scholarship to do my PhD in Australia. Later, I found myself working with the University of Melbourne at the Nossal Institute for Global Health. It was there that my love of education and making learning accessible to others really took off.
“I thought, why not? The path isn’t clear, the future isn’t promised, just give it a go.” Dr Mitha Eka
At Nossal Institute, I was invited to help design a series of educational resources on cervical cancer for patients in Indonesia. At first I hesitated. I didn’t understand the disease or have a medical background. But then I thought, why not? The path isn’t clear, the future isn’t promised, just give it a go. With a wonderfully supportive team, I did.
The team and I worked with cervical cancer survivors, patients, clinicians and community-based organisations in Indonesia. Together, we built culturally safe information for women, their families and doctors. We successfully piloted the information across 4 Indonesian hospitals and are now looking to get it out to even more people.
This sort of information is sorely needed because in Indonesia, sexual and reproductive health has long been seen as taboo. At high school, my sexual health education focused on abstinence, and we were told that if you had sex, you’d get pregnant or catch an STI. That kind of bubble we lived in affected women’s health care and their futures.
When my aunties died of cervical cancer, my family had very little information about the disease. Through Nossal Institute, I learnt that cervical cancer is usually caused by a virus. And it’s largely preventable with vaccination and screening. Spreading this message – and that it’s OK to be screened – is what drives me.
Cervical cancer kills about 21,000 women in Indonesia every year. Australia is on track to eradicate the disease nationally and is committed to helping its neighbours – including Indonesia – do the same. Learn more about cervical cancer.
Though I love working in the information space and contributing to my country, I’ve had to learn to be patient. Transformative education takes time. When you’re up against stigma and misconceptions, it can take at least a decade to see progress. So that’s what I keep in mind.
Late last year, my role was made redundant which was devastating. I realised how quickly you can lose your confidence and self-worth when a job ends. But I’ve also come to realise that setbacks are rarely a full stop. There are other opportunities you haven’t seen and there’s time for self-care you hadn’t prioritised. I’ve reconnected with friends and family and found more time for hobbies and my partner.
I now work part-time at Federation University as a learning designer. I also have a separate project coming through the University of Melbourne – I’ll be helping create cervical cancer education materials for women with disabilities in Indonesia. It’s another way to continue the work and keep spreading the message that you have every right to understand your body. Don’t let stigma stand between you and your health.
