ZAGREB, January 25, 2020 – The national day for prevention of cervical cancer, known as Mimosa Day, was marked in Zagreb’s Cvjetni Trg square on Saturday with a traditional charity sale of branches of mimosa flowers.
The event, organised for the 13th year in a row to raise public awareness of the importance of cervical cancer prevention, was attended by Mayor Milan Bandić, who called on women to undergo regular medical check-ups and get vaccinated against the HPV virus.
The secretary-general of the Croatian Anti-Cancer League, Neda Ferenčić Vrban, called on parents to have their children, both girls and boys, vaccinated against HPV in eighth grade, as recommended by the national HPV vaccination programme.
Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) in 99.7 percent of cases. Since there is no effective cure against HPV, regular medical examinations are important to detect HPV infection as early as possible. The cervix is one of the most frequent cancer sites in women aged 20-49, and the most critical period for infection is adolescence.
About 300 women in Croatia are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and every third day one woman dies from it, the event was told.
Mimosa Day is organised by the Croatian Anti-Cancer League and the City of Zagreb Office for Health.
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