Cervical Cancer

(asked on 23rd November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to support the World Health Organisation’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 10th December 2020

The United Kingdom supports the World Health Organization’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer and continues to work towards increasing uptake rates for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. For instance, in response to a recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the HPV vaccine programme was expanded in September 2019 from girls to also include boys of 12 to 13 years old. The vaccine protects men from HPV-related diseases, including certain cancers and also helps to reduce the overall number of HPV-associated cancers in women, such as cervical cancer. The National Health Service also runs a national cervical screening programme in England to assist in the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cervical disease. In December 2019, HPV became the primary test for in this programme to effectively let women know their risk of developing cervical cancer.

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