User:Fiona Cobban

Together we can fight cervical cancer

A brief evaluation of the Scottish Government's 2008 HPV vaccine campaign

Part one of my Information Design coursework submission to Robert Gordon University

The topic in context
According to Cancer Research UK there's an alarming ignorance about cancer and how to reduce the risk of the disease, which is Britain's biggest killer. They assert that half of all cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes. Diets high in saturated fats, alcohol, smoking and lack of exercise are all well publicised risk factors.

Cancer Help UK's statistics suggest that around 2,800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year. Overall, 2 out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in women are cervical cancers. But it is the second most common cancer in women under 35 years old.

The Scottish Government believes Scotland can be healthier, with the benefits of that better health felt in a higher quality of life for families and communities across the country. They believe that effective health policy is as much about preventing ill-health as treating it and as such there are three cancer screening programmes in Scotland - bowel, breast and cervical.

To help in the fight against cervical cancer, the Government invested in a new immunisation programme to protect women against cervical cancer - which started in summer 2008 - targeting school girls, teenage girls and mothers.

The campaign itself
The national campaign in Scotland launched in July 2008, in the run up to the new school term and included:


 * a road show visiting more than a dozen shopping malls, which aimed to inform teenage girls and young women about the immunisation programme
 * a national advertising and information campaign, which aimed to raise awareness and to get key messages across through TV ads, radio broadcasts
 * the use of real life stories on a specially developed campaign website
 * pre-immunisation talks, supported by a DVD was also provided so girls could discuss things with their parents
 * leaflets and other information, providing further information on the vaccination programme and how HPV causes cervical cancer
 * a number of celebrities were also invited to share their thoughts on the HPV vaccine - they included TV and radio presenters, a sportswoman, a pop star and a beauty queen!

A brief evaluation of the campaign
The campaign objectives were about informing, educating and raising awareness, with an apparent end goal of prompting young girls and their parents into action - to consent to the immunisation and to consider their lifestyle choices through to teenage years, adulthood and beyond.

Based on Cancer Research UK's pre-launch research (January 2007) - which revealed that most mothers (in a sample survey) agreed that the appropriate age for vaccination was between 10-14 years and most of the respondents said they would probably or definitely accept the HPV vaccine for their daughters - it would be reasonable to assert that immunisation uptake has been reasonably successful.

In considering more specifically the elements of the campaign, it could be asserted that:


 * shopping malls as road show venues reached out to teenage girls in their natural environment
 * the use of TV and radio as an advertising vehicle provided wide spread and instant awareness
 * the website instantly conveyed who the intended audience was
 * the short film (DVD) provided the opportunity to build on initial information, furthermore it was clear, concise yet educational and warm in tone
 * the leaflets and Q&A booklets were available in 15 languages, reflecting the cultural diversity across Scotland
 * real life stories were made all the more compelling through the use of celebrity led endorsement

Closing remarks
Undoubtedly the numbers of girls consenting to the immunisation will be a more robust indicator of the effectiveness of the campaign. However in terms of seeing numbers of cancer cases actually fall from around 3000 new cases diagnosed across the UK each year currently - according to the experts it will be another 5-10 years before any meaningful conclusions can be drawn. Furthermore, they assert that it's still not known whether a vaccine would offer long term protection so it's essential that women should continue with cervical screening from the age of 20.