Emmanuel Macron is going to a college in Jarnac (Charente) this Tuesday, February 28 to discuss with young people his policy on preventive medicine. In particular, he must make announcements to “eradicate” the papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Emmanuel Macron is expected Tuesday at a college in Jarnac (Charente) for a day focused on preventive medicine. The president must “make a decisive announcement there to eradicate the papillomavirus”, an STI responsible for 30,000 precancerous lesions of the cervix and 6,000 new cases of cancer in women and men.
The Head of State, accompanied by the Ministers of Health and Education, François Braun and Pap Ndiaye, “will attend a vaccination session organized within the establishment”, explained the Presidency of the Republic, four days before World Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Disease Awareness Day.
Extremely frequent, these infections are most of the time benign, but they can persist and lead to cancer: HPVs are responsible for 2,900 cancers of the cervix causing more than 1,000 deaths per year, 1,500 cancers of the ENT sphere, 1,500 cancers of the anus, 200 cancers of the vulva or vagina and a hundred cancers of the penis.
vaccination to eradicate the disease
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these cancers can be completely eliminated through screening and vaccination. However, the vaccination coverage rate in France is currently 37% for girls and 9% for boys, while the ten-year strategy for the fight against cancer 2021-2030 aims for a target of 80% within seven years.
Vaccination is now recommended for girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 14. It can also be offered as a catch-up until the age of 19 and remains possible until the age of 26 for men who have sex with men.
An experiment carried out in the Grand Est for two years has shown good results among young people schooled in 5th grade, the vaccination rate rising from 9% to 27% the first year and from 14% to 31% the second.
priority to prevention
For Emmanuel Macron, this day will also be an opportunity to promote his policy on preventive medicine. Since January 1, 2023, young people under the age of 26 have had free access to condoms in pharmacies. They can also benefit from free screening for STIs, without a prescription, previously reserved for HIV alone.
The Minister of Health François Braun also announced last year the establishment of three free medical consultations for the “three ages of life, 25, 45 and 65”. The aim of this measure, which should take shape in 2023, is to carry out prevention at pivotal ages on various subjects: vaccines, addiction, cancer screening, mental health, etc.