LONDON - EPF's Cervical Cancer Prevention Policy Atlas was launched in the House of Commons today, during the UK’s Cervical Cancer Prevention week and ahead of World Cancer Day on 4 February.
Hosted by EPF and the UK APPG on PDRH, panellists included Baroness Jenny Tonge, Dr. Margaret Stanley, member of the project's Expert Group and emeritus Professor of Epithelial Biology at the University of Cambridge, Kate Sanger, Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Neil Datta, EPF Secretary.
Speakers introduced the topic of HPV and cervical cancer, followed by a presentation of the results of the 2020 atlas, which clearly highlights policy discrepancies between 46 European Countries with western and northern Europe generally ranking much higher than southern and eastern Europe.
Finally, the discussion turned to the situation in the UK. With a score of 100%, the UK was one of four atlas prevention policy champions and so the onus was placed on reducing stigma and myths around HPV and cervical cancer and encouraging more women to attend cervical screening tests to increase coverage rates in the country, with one in four women currently not attending routine screenings that can detect cervical cancer.