Every year, some 32,000 women die of cervical cancer in Europe and Central Asia. Central and Eastern Europe is particularly affected: women in the Eastern part of the region are ten times more likely to die of cervical cancer than those in Western Europe. Cervical cancer is a deadly disease. But unlike other cancers, most cases – some 80% – can be prevented by putting in place the right policies and programmes.

Stepping up prevention has far-reaching benefits, in particular for young people. The cervical cancer epidemic has a “young face”: it affects mostly young women, many of whom are in the process of starting families and building their careers. In many places, cancer treatment is extremely costly, leading to the impoverishment of entire families.

Members of Parliament are uniquely positioned to influence the shape and content of their countries’ public health agendas. They can lead the development of relevant legislation and policies and monitor implementation; ensure oversight, accountability, transparency and good governance; make the voice of affected citizens heard; and define the fiscal and budgetary regimes needed to mobilise sufficient resources.

With the aim of generating support for prevention programmes, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund brought together parliamentarians from Eastern and South-eastern Europe on 15-16 November 2012 in Prague, Czech Republic. The manual was developed as a follow-up to this meeting, designed specifically for parliamentarians willing to work on legislation and initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence of cervical cancer in their countries.