Pan-European Political Network to Stop Cervical Cancer

Published: October 9, 2009
Categories: News Article, Health


The Europe-wide network of 250 national and European politicians,  Politicians for Cervical Cancer Prevention (PCCP), today announced the appointment of Ms Edite Estrela Ms Marian Harkin and Dr Silvana Koch-Mehrin who will all join the sitting co-chair Ms Francoise Grossetete on the new executive board. The new Co-Chairs of the PCCP bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in health policy development, law and politics to the direction of the PCCP. Cervical cancer is unique in we already have the tools available to prevent almost every case of this disease. Effective organised cervical cancer screening programmes can prevent 80% of cervical cancer cases. In addition, new technologies such as vaccination against the virus that causes cervical cancer, the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV, offer the potential to further reduce rates, perhaps to the point that cervical cancer could be virtually eliminated in Europe. The objective of the PCCP is to see that these programmes are implemented equitably across Europe.  The first task of the new executive is to plan and hold the European Cervical Cancer Summit Meeting that will bring politicians from across Europe together in Brussels on the 26th and 27th of January 2010. This meeting will provide our political leaders with up-to-the-minute, evidence-based information on cervical cancer prevention that can be taken back to their countries to facilitate effective health policy formulation.