With the unfortunate twist in the fate of reality show celebrity Jade Goody, awareness of the importance of cervical screening has increased dramatically in the UK, especially among younger women. Within that context, you might be interested in pointing your colleagues and patients towards a European charity which is counting on "people power" to influence health policy via the European Parliament.

Pan European petition aims to reduce cervical cancer deaths through screening

The European Cervical Cancer Association wants a million electronic signatures to take to the European Parliament to try and get rulings implemented that will bring about improvements in cervical cancer prevention programmes across the continent.

The ECCA petition states: "Every year in Europe, 50,000 women develop and 25,000 women die from cervical cancer. Effective prevention programmes could prevent almost every case.

"I support the STOP Cervical Cancer Petition and call upon the European Parliament, the European Commission and all national governments of Europe to implement the effective organised cervical cancer prevention programmes that will provide the optimal protection against cervical cancer for all the women of Europe."

To sign the petition, go to www.cervicalcancerpetition.eu and click on the UK version. Running totals of signatures are being kept for 44 countries with Portugal inexplicably leading by a mile.

Web-based information and materials

The European Cervical Cancer Association was founded in 2002 by 15 different organisations from across Europe, including cancer charities, cancer treatment centres, university teaching hospitals and health education organisations.

The ECCA was established specifically to co-ordinate a Europe-wide public health education programme that would raise awareness of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented.

The charity's educational programme delivers a wide range of factually correct and consistent information about cervical cancer and its prevention, structured to reach three main target audiences:

  • the general public
  • health professionals who act as a source of additional information or advice for the general public
  • public health officials who are responsible for the development and implementation of cervical cancer screening or health educational programmes.

All information is available in English and a range of other languages, in each instance adapted to reflect current practice in the relevant country.

This includes brochures on:

  • cervical cancer screening
  • human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer
  • follow-up and treatment of an abnormal cervical smear
  • vaccination against HPV and cervical cancer.

All material can de downloaded free on the ECCA website at: www.ecca.info

Printed copies of these brochures are available in quantities of 50 to 300,000 for the cost of printing and shipping.