Last November, we reported that Powiat Bolesławiecki had joined the implementation of the “Pilot Program for the Prevention of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infections.” “Poland ranks among the highest in Europe in terms of women’s mortality from cervical cancer. I hope that the ‘Pilot Program for the Prevention of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infections,’ in which Powiat Bolesławiecki has become involved, will improve this situation, even if only slightly,” said starost Cezary Przybylski at the time. “Free vaccinations will certainly not meet all needs, but perhaps they will inspire other local governments to undertake a similar campaign and make us all aware of the scale of the problem.”
It is now known that this year Powiat Bolesławiecki will also implement a program to prevent human papillomavirus infections. The County Board announced a call for tenders to select the program’s provider. More information is available on the Powiat Bolesławiecki website.
What is HPV?
The main cause of cervical cancer is oncogenic types of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). Every young woman may be exposed to the virus. Cervical cancer is a serious health problem in Poland. Approximately 4,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and around 2,000 women die.
Appropriate preventive measures can significantly reduce the problem. The optimal form of prevention is to combine vaccinations for adolescent girls with regular cytology screenings at a later age.
Many European countries have decided to reimburse vaccinations for the prevention of cervical cancer and are implementing population-wide vaccination programs. In Poland, HPV vaccinations are included in the Immunization Schedule as recommended vaccinations. This calls for increased efforts to protect the health of the young generation of girls—the women of the future.
In Poland, as elsewhere in the world, cervical cancer is the second most common malignant tumor after breast cancer among women aged 15 to 44. In Poland in 2007, cervical cancer was diagnosed in 4,057 women, and 1,907 died as a result. Incidence and mortality rates have remained stable for several years.
According to the guidelines of the World Health Organization and numerous international and national scientific societies (gynecological and oncological), optimal cervical cancer prevention includes both primary prevention (counseling and vaccination) and secondary prevention (early detection of dysplasia and cancer through cytological screening).
A prerequisite for the successful implementation of prevention programs is raising public awareness of the possibilities for preventing, detecting early and treating the disease. Pediatricians and family physicians play an important role in carrying out this task.
In 2006 and 2007, the European Medicines Agency registered and approved for use in Europe, including Poland, two vaccines intended to prevent precancerous cervical lesions and cervical cancer.
It is predicted that unless steps are taken to educate young people and parents and provide comprehensive prevention related to this disease and the human papillomavirus that causes it, the incidence of cervical cancer will continue to rise. Coordinated efforts, particularly vaccinating girls against HPV, should produce measurable results—reducing the high incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer among Polish women.
(information: Powiat Bolesławiecki/ii)