Promoting the Benefits of Smear Test and HPV Vaccine to Prevent Cervical Cancer among Roma Ethnic Women in Romania

Cervical cancer in Romania
Promoting the benefits of smear test and HPV vaccine to
prevent the cervical cancer among Roma ethnic women in
Romania

Introduction
In 2012, Romania recorded the highest number of cases and mortality due to cervical cancer and as a result, Romania was ranked first among all the
countries in Europe with the most cases of cervical cancer ( 28.6 / 100,000 population) and highest mortality (10.8 / 100,000 population) (Ferlay et al., 2015).
Romania currently does not have a routine test to detect the HPV virus. In 2009, the Romanian government had an attempt to introduce the HPV vaccine for
young girls but did not succeed because there was not enough information on HPV prevalence and the risks it might have (Ursu et al., 2011).
A free cervical cancer screening program was put in place at national level in 2012, but participation in this program was very low, especially among the
Roma population (Andreassen et al., 2017).
Also in 2012, a national vaccination program against HPV (human papillomavirus) was implemented by the Romanian government (Ferlay et al., 2018).
 Aims
-The aims of the campaign are to raise awareness of the danger of cervical cancer and to educate people in order to improve and prevent disease.
 Objectives
-To start an online page to promote the benefits of the HPV vaccine for young school girls and before that to invite the parents for a presentation in which will
be explained the benefits of the vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer.
- To provide a mobile van to access the women who live in rural areas and who have lack of health services, however, I would like to use the same mobile van
to provide the service to Roma women because they are the most discriminated ethnicity and who lack the most the access to health.

Population
 The campaign will target Roma ethnic women from Romania aged 25 to 64. In this campaign, I intend to work together with the
Health Ministry in Romania and other private health organizations.
Roma ethnic women challenges
 The campaign will have a challenge that it will face because the Roma minority is often confronted with inequalities and
discrimination in the field of health care (Andreassen et al., 2017).
 A previous study done in Cluj County among Roma women highlighted 4 facts that were attributed to the low number of
participants in the screening program (Andreassen et al., 2017).
 The Roma population in Romania can be found in all socio-economic groups both in urban and rural areas. However, most of
them live in isolated areas from the rest of the population in very tough life conditions (Engebrigtsen, 2007).