• Updating and expanding the ECCA website (www.ecca.info). The ECCA website currently provides balanced and scientifically valid information about cervical cancer to the women in 29 countries or regions. The website attracts more than 15,000 visits per month and helps all of these people to have a better understanding of what they can do to prevent cervical cancer.
• Updating and expanding the ECCA brochures on Cervical Cancer Screening, Human Papilloma Virus and Cervical Cancer, Follow-up and Treatment of an Abnormal Cervical Smear, and Vaccination against HPV and Cervical Cancer. These brochures are currently available for 24 different countries and they are distributed widely across Europe to help people learn what they can do to prevent cervical cancer.

Health professionals need to have up-to-date information so they can do their best to prevent cervical cancer. Profits from the Pearl of Wisdom go to educational programs for medical professionals to ensure they have the latest information about cervical cancer prevention. Cervical cancer rates are up to 8 times higher in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe so the ECCA has focused on the following:

• Running a project to develop educational materials for primary medical professionals in the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania (at present). This project has recruited the relevant professional societies in these countries to review the scientific evidence, define the needed information and create the educational materials that will help to ensure primary medical professionals can more effectively prevent cervical cancer in their countries,
• Building a network of Western European experts with hands-on experience in all aspects of cervical cancer prevention who can share these experiences with their Eastern European colleagues and help them to reduce their cervical cancer rates.

Very few politicians understand that almost every case of cervical cancer could be prevented by cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination. Because of this, they do not fully realise the importance of these programs and do not vote for the budgets needed for their implementation. The ECCA works to educate politicians and ensure cervical cancer prevention gets a higher priority in national parliaments through the following programs:

• The Cervical Cancer Summit Meeting. This is an annual meeting for politicians with health responsibilities where they will learn the latest information about a) cervical cancer across Europe, b) the status of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs and c) what they need to do now to reduce cervical cancer rates in their countries.
• Educational sessions in national parliaments. The ECCA regularly organises workshops and seminars in national parliaments where we can educate politicians about cervical cancer prevention in their own language and in a forum that encourages their participation.

Patient groups and other non-governmental organisations play a very important role in advocating for the right of women to have equitable access to all health services, including cervical cancer prevention programs. The ECCA works with other NGOs across Europe to help them achieve their cervical cancer prevention goals by supplying them with:

• Scientifically valid summary information on cervical cancer to inform their programs.
• Advice and materials for working with the media to improve their ability to use the media to communicate with the general public
• Support for building effective partnerships with politicians who are interested in cervical cancer prevention

To find out more about the Pearl of Wisdom campaign: www.PearlofWisdom.eu

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© 2009 European Cervical Cancer Association