Convening in Bulgaria to Tackle HPV

Parliamentarians, HPV experts and the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) gathered at the Bulgarian Parliament on 19 September to analyse the latest data in the HPV Prevention Policy Atlas.

Now in its 2nd edition: the Atlas reveals that 90,000 cancers a year in Europe are caused by the human papillomavirus virus (HPV). These are all preventable with adequate vaccination, screening, and prevention campaigns.

Since 2020, the Atlas has scored 48 European governments on their approach to HPV prevention. Its second edition finds that geographical disparities across Europe remain and that a visible East-West divide in the fight against HPV continues.

Mike Morrissey, CEO of ECO, said: ‘We now have a fantastic opportunity to eliminate all cancers caused by HPV from the whole of Europe, including Bulgaria and Poland. But there are huge inequalities in vaccination and screening programmes across the region.’

He called on Parliamentarians to expand and accelerate efforts to vaccinate girls and boys, both nationally and across Europe.

Bulgarian members of the National & European Parliamentarians for Cancer Action were instrumental in organising the event, especially Petar Vitanov, Rositsa Vassileva Pandova-Yovkova, and Alexander Simidchiev.