A national campaign to promote HPV vaccination in Romania's small towns and rural areas was released on Thursday, November 17, the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action 2022, as each year over 1,500 women in Romania die of cervical cancer and almost 3,400 are diagnosed with the disease.
"The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health, coordinated by the National Institute for Public Health, organised by the Renasterea Foundation and the Association of Mothers for Mothers, in partnership with the Romanian National Red Cross Society, with support from MSD and Synevo," the Renasterea Foundation reports in a press release.
The foundation says reducing the burden of cervical cancer can be achieved through vaccination against HPV, early detection of cervical lesions through screening programmes and by ensuring equal and fair access to diagnosis and treatment for all people, Agerpres informs.
The campaign is designed for parents and it will unfold through meetings dedicated to them, where they will receive all the information to help them make the right decision regarding their children's health, as well as the standard application to submit to the family physicians to access the HPV vaccination programme.
The entire local community will be involved through information actions and promoting prevention against HPV.
At the same time, the benefits of the HPV vaccination will be revealed in the first stage throughout the year to the parents of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 in 10 counties (Constanta, Ialomita, Calarasi, Iasi, Suceava, Bacau, Vrancea, Neamt, Botosani, Vaslui).
Romania has an HPV vaccination programme for girls aged 11 to 18, as well as a national cervical cancer screening programme consolidated by four regional programmes.