Cervical cancer is one of the only cancers that is almost entirely preventable thanks to the development of the HPV Vaccination right here in Australia.

Few Australians actually understand how significant this achievenment is – we should all be very proud.

About 30 years ago it was discovered that a virus called the Human Papiilloma Virus (HPV) caused not only cervical cancer but also other cancers in men and women such as neck and throat cancer. There are about 100 different types of HPV and it was discovered that a few of them were nastier than others. In particular, types 16 and 18, were discovered to cause about 70-80% of cervical cancers. Once this discovery was made, two scientists set about to create a vaccine to protect people against these two types of HPV. This has now been known as the cervical cancer vaccine but in actual fact it is the vaccine which guards us against the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer as well as other cancers and also genital warts. Professor Ian Frazer and his colleague the late Dr Jian Zhou were able to create this vaccine and since about 2006, girls in Australia have had access to this life-saving vaccine. From this year, 2013, Australia has also become the first country to vaccinate boys as well so that they are protected against HPV related cancers in the future.

In 2008, the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation was founded.

Whilst Professor Frazer was thrilled to have helped to discover the vaccine and was awarded Australian of the Year for this work in 2006, he was saddened to think that the women and girls who need this vaccine most, would never have access to it due to the expense of it. The ACCF’s founder was Mr Mike Wille who along with his wife, Lenore Wille, were determined to get this vaccine to the girls in developing countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Kiribati.

Their dream was that they would vaccine 1000 girls per year. By the end of 2012, ACCF has vaccinated almost 100,000 girls in countries where medical treatment and facities are often very basic. Cervical cancer is often the leading cancer killer of women in these developing countries.

Many Australians don’t realise what an amazing contribution this vaccine is having to the women of the world. If we can vaccinate a girl, her chances of dying from cervical cancer is reduced by up to 80%. We are very proud of the work ACCF is doing both in Australia and overseas – to help to one day eliminate cervical cancer altogether which is almost entirely possible. And we were thrilled to hold a celebration at Federation Square in 2012 to mark our first National Awareness Day called Sisters Day!

For more information please visit www.accf.org.au