Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said Ireland is on target to reduce the number of cases of cervical cancer to four per 100,000 women by 2040.
Currently, around 300 people per year are diagnosed with the illness.
The World Health Organisation says fewer than four cases per 100,000 women and people with cervixes would make instances of this cancer rare.
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A new roadmap to reach this goal has been revealed by the Department of Health, with a national public consultation to take place next year.
The Department of Health has said that cervical cancer rates can be down to fewer than four cases per 100,000 women and people with cervixes with increased HPV vaccination rates and maintaining cervical screening rates.
“We can now say that babies born today will reach adulthood in an Ireland where we expect to have eliminated cervical cancer,” Mr Donnelly said on Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, according to The Irish Times..
“HPV vaccination for boys and girls is a game-changer on our road to elimination, and I’m proud that Ireland was one of the first countries to introduce HPV vaccination through the National Immunisation Programme in 2010, as well as being among the first to adopt HPV cervical screening in 2020."
HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said: "We have seen a marked decline in the number of people with cervical cancer since the introduction of our cervical screening programme in 2008 and recent research shows the positive impact the HPV vaccine has had in reducing the rate of serious pre-cancer cervical disease.
"High uptake of our cervical screening and HPV vaccination programmes are essential in making cervical cancer a rare disease."
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