The Eve Appeal’s Post

Today, Eve hosted a parliamentary event in Scotland, convened by MSD, to bring patients, health policy makers and MSPs together to affirm both the commitment to the elimination of cervical cancer and agree the steps we all need to make to get there. This is a cancer – the only one – where we know what causes nearly all cases (HPV) and we know how to prevent it (HPV vaccination and cervical screening). How amazing is that? 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Scotland every year. This is 300 too many. And Scotland has the highest cervical cancer death rates in the UK. Elimination would have a profound impact on women’s health and society as a whole. A race worth taking part in. Like other parts of the UK, health inequalities can be clearly seen in both vaccination uptake and screening attendance. To eliminate this disease, we need to focus on those people who are under-screened or who have never been screened. This group is made up of a number of communities with different challenges and needs which we need to address – those affected by sexual trauma, disability, or with barriers to communications and without the tailored information they require (in their own language, in easy read, that addresses their personal concerns). Scotland is the only UK nation that has hit the 90% HPV vaccination target (in S4 girls, 2022/23) – but the most recent data shows this has slipped. Government research has also shown that that no cervical cancer cases have been detected in women who were fully vaccinated at age 12-13, since HPV vaccination was introduced in Scotland in 2008. The foundations are in place to reach elimination. The challenge now is replicating this success across the prevention pathway, all three areas - HPV vaccination, cervical screening and the treatment pathway. At Eve, we know the tools to reach cervical cancer elimination already exist: the task is for all of us, in partnership, to bring them to every individual who needs them. With focus, intention, scaling up and tailoring. You can read our CEO, Athena's, blog on our website: https://bit.ly/3ZDDFNF #HPV #CervicalCancer #CervicalScreening #CancerPolicy #ScottishParliament

  • Today, Eve hosted a parliamentary event in Scotland to affirm the commitment to cervical cancer elimination and agree the steps we need to make to get there.

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