“Equality” is a key message of World Cancer Day (February 4), emphasized the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakidou.
As he pointed out “the European Health Union must be a Health Union of Equality, in access to services, in cancer care, in everything we do. Equality is non-negotiable.”

He also referred to the Commission’s recommendations to the member states regarding HPV and Hepatitis B vaccinations, according to which the vaccines will be fully reimbursed or free of charge. At the same time, countries are asked to create vaccination monitoring registries.

Regarding the HPV vaccination, Ms. Kyriakidou stated that the goal is to have 90% of the girls in the vaccination category vaccinated as well as a significant number of boys underlining that “the numbers for cervical cancer are quite alarming” .

In particular, the European Commissioner noted that there are more than 28,000 new cases every year in the EU and the European Economic Area and more than 13,000 women die from this disease every year. “Globally, every two minutes a life is lost to this disease. Therefore, it is very important to know that we have a vaccine. This is a safe and effective vaccine. We need to vaccinate boys and girls,” he noted, explaining that it’s not just for cervical cancer because there are other types of cancer that affect men as well.

“It is important that we do this vaccination coverage. We’re not just making a recommendation. We can support member states to achieve this goal, 90% vaccination of girls by 2030 and an increase in vaccination of boys” emphasized Stella Kyriakidou.

She also added that a hepatitis B vaccination program is being launched. The Commissioner noted that “in 2021, 16,000 new hepatitis B infections were reported. 40% of them become chronic. These are what cause liver disease and liver cancer. So we have about 3.6 to 3.7 million Europeans living with hepatitis infections.”