Young Maori and Pacific Island women are leading the way in the uptake of the HPV vaccination which guards against a virus which causes cervical cancer and genital warts.
Pacific Island Affairs minister Georgina te Heuheu says 70% of Pacific girls aged 14 to 18 and 57% of Maori girls have now received the free Gardasil shots, compared with a national average of 52%.
She describes this as most encouraging and told Waatea News that it will have positive long term effects on public health.