PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 11th September 2007

Cancer charity welcomes local MP's support in campaign to protect teenage girls against cervical cancer

The UK’s leading cervical cancer charity, Jo’s Trust, has today welcomed Robert Key’s support for a national immunisation programme against the Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers.

The MP has signed a House of Commons Motion, which calls on the Government to ensure that all girls in compulsory education are offered the HPV vaccine as soon as possible. It also recommends that those leaving school next year, and all women under 25, should be able to self-refer to a GP to get the vaccination.

Director of Jo’s Trust, Pamela Morton, said: “I am delighted that Mr Key has signed this motion. In June, 2007 the Government accepted the principle of HPV immunisation, so now it should be made available to all girls before they leave school regardless of their date of birth or family income.

“A national vaccination programme for all 12 to 16 year old girls would protect this generation against the two ‘high risk’ HPV types that cause 75% of all cervical cancer and so contribute to the eradication of this, now, preventable cancer in the future. The trust’s priority is firstly, to stop women in the UK dying from this cancer and secondly, significantly decrease the incidence through calling for an improved uptake of screening and a national vaccination programme.”

Ends

For further information contact

Pamela Morton 01327 341965, 07980 720061 or at Pamela@Jotrust.co.uk

Dave Roberts 07733323350

Notes to Editor

EDM 1991 reads

That this House welcomes the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the use of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) for the prevention of cervical cancer; further welcomes the Government's acceptance in principle of the recommendation; notes the concerns expressed by the cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust over the continued slow progress towards full scale implementation of a national HPV immunisation programme and that this will expose young women leaving school in 2008 to infection by a virus that is now avoidable; and calls upon the Government to ensure that all girls in compulsory education are offered the HPV vaccine and that those leaving school in 2008, and older women up to 25 years old, can for a limited period self-refer to a GP for such a vaccination.

The full list of current signatures can be found at:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33857&SESSION=885

Jo’s Trust www.jotrust.co.uk is a registered charity established in 1999 by James Maxwell in memory of his wife Jo who died of cervical cancer.

It is dedicated to women, their families and friends affected by pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix
Jo’s Trusts objectives are

• To raise the public profile and understanding of the causes of pre-cancer and cervical cancer and how they can be prevented and overcome

• To create greater awareness of the importance of having regular cervical screening

• To campaign for improved preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for cervical cancer