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PHOTO: Reuters
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Human papilloma virus is the cause of a large percentage of cancers
By 2030, 90% of girls across the EU, including Bulgaria, will be vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes a large proportion of cancers in Bulgaria.
This is one of the main goals of the European Cancer Plan, which was adopted in February this year and which our country will have to strive for. This became clear during a round table on the National Cancer Control Plan, which included expert doctors, pharmacologists, as well as MPs Dr. Alexander Simidchiev and Hassan Ademov.
Now the coverage with HPV vaccine is only 3-4% and will require active and serious work in the coming months and years, experts said.
There has been talk of a national anti-cancer plan in Bulgaria since at least 2006, but so far no real action has been taken in any form, said oncologist and head of the National Cancer Registry Prof. Zdravka Valerianova.
About 200,000 to 300,000 cancer patients are currently in Bulgaria, and between 36,000 and 37,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, she said. Between 17,000 and 18,000 die of cancer each year.
“Bulgaria is not among the countries with the highest morbidity rates, but in terms of mortality it is the opposite. This is because there have been no effective actions against cancer for years, “said Prof. Valerianova.
However, as part of the EU, Bulgaria will now have to work harder to improve so that the goals of the pan-European cancer plan can be achieved. One of his leading initiatives is for 90% of the population to go through screening programs by 2025, and at the moment there are none in our country, said Deyan Denev, director of ARPharM.
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