Today we will discuss the prevention of cervical cancer in Latvia – Health, beauty

Today, April 26, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., an open online discussion will take place about the need to introduce a cervical cancer prevention plan in Latvia and real possibilities to achieve the goal of such a plan. The discussion will be live and publicly available to anyone interested.

Cervical cancer remains a significant public health problem. CPV (human papillomavirus) is detected in 99% of cases of cervical tumors, and vaccination against CPV works, which is financed from the state budget for teenagers. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Cancer Control Plan and the European Cancer Organization – “By 2030, effective strategies must be implemented in all European countries to eliminate cancer caused by CPV as a public health problem”, Latvia also needs to fully implement a plan to prevent CPV cancers.

The mortality rate caused by cervical cancer in Latvia is the third highest in the EU and almost three times higher than the EU average, which indicates the need to increase vaccination against the human papillomavirus and improve the availability of specialized care.

In order to achieve these goals, doctors’ organizations, experts and representatives of decision-making bodies will discuss the development of a cervical cancer prevention plan and its integration into the plan for the improvement of health care services in the field of oncology, which includes an effective increase in CPV vaccination coverage, improvement of cervical cancer screening, cervical cancer prioritizing access to treatment and expanding target groups for CPV vaccination.

“I see a fundamental need to agree on a coordinated strategy for the eradication of cervical cancer in Latvia, which includes targeted improvement of CPV vaccination coverage and expansion of vaccination groups, promotion of screening responsiveness, support for post-screening examinations and treatment of pre-cancer and cancer. Synchronized, structured and coordinated actions are important, such as also evaluation and planning and execution of the next steps, that’s why in March organizations of several sectors addressed a letter to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Service, the State Council for Immunization, as well as the Social and Labor Affairs Commission of the Saeima regarding the need to fully implement the cervical cancer elimination plan in Latvia ,” explains the president of the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Latvia Via Weiss.

“The reality of oncologists is that in Latvia, about 500 cases of cancer are newly diagnosed every year, the cause of which is most often CPV infection. Cervical cancer is the second most common tumor in women and the third cause of cancer-related death in women. If these tumors become metastatic, they is difficult to treat and therefore has a high mortality rate. In the case of cervical cancer, there is less opportunity to treat this common tumor with drugs. Therefore, prevention is very important It has been discovered that cervical cancer is one of those tumors where up to 99% of cases are caused by the human papilloma virus, and we can therefore work on specific prevention here. ” says the head of the Oncology Clinic of Paula Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) and the chairman of the board of the Association of Oncologists and Chemotherapists of Latvia Aija Gerina.

“In order for Latvia to be able to fulfill the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the European Commission and fully implement the plan to eliminate cervical cancer and other cancers caused by CPV, it is important to expand the target group of CPV vaccination in Latvia by including CPV vaccination for women and men aged 18 to 26 in the national immunization program , who have not received the vaccine before, patients with co-morbidities that suppress immunity, after organ transplantation and other risk group patients, women after cervical surgical treatment performed due to CPV-induced precancerous lesions, HIV patients up to 45 years of age,” summarizes Latvian Cervical head of the Cancer Education Foundation Kristine Pcholkina.

The open discussion will be publicly available and will be broadcast on the profiles of several participating physician organizations Facebookas well as on the portal LSM.lv and in the profile of the “Divi gani” agency YouTube:

It is planned that the Latvian Cervical Cancer Education Foundation, the Latvian Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, the Latvian Colposcopy Association, the Latvian Association of Chemotherapy Oncologists, the Latvian Association of Otorhinolaryngologists, the Latvian Association of Infectologists, Hepatologists and HIV/AIDS Specialists, the Ministry of Health, will participate in the discussion and will be represented. Ministry of Finance, National Health Service, Disease Prevention and Control Center, Social and Labor Affairs Commission of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia.

“Two Shepherds”