Representatives from BME groups throughout the country have come together in Manchester to discuss ways of improving awareness of cervical cancer and the benefits of cervical screening.
The event on 24 January, which was attended by over 50 participants, was co-hosted by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust as part of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2013. It represents part of an ongoing drive to reach women from BME groups.
As part of the event, attendees heard from experts who have run successful outreach projects in order to learn from best practice. It was an interactive and lively session in which they were asked to discuss barriers relevant to their own communities and come up with campaign ideas designed to address and overcome these barriers.
Atiha Chaudry from the Manchester BME Network, who attended the meeting, said: “It was a very informative day and highlighted some of the common reasons why BME women are less likely to be aware of cervical cancer and the importance of screening. The presentations about previous successful awareness raising campaigns triggered some really interesting discussions and ideas about what we can all do in our own communities. I think I speak on behalf of everyone who came when I say we learnt a lot and can now look to spread important messages about the life-saving benefits of screening to the women we know.”
For further information about this event, contact the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes' press office, on 0207 400 4499, or email: [email protected].
For further information about the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, visit: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/index.html