“There is a solution that can mean a profit for everyone,” said Vandenbroucke. “We want to fund the test so that this screening can be performed on women between the ages of 30 and 65, and we ask the states to do everything they can to convince women to get tested.” He notes that 60 percent of women in Flanders are currently being tested for cervical cancer. In Brussels and Wallonia this is less than half.
Cervical cancer is currently detected first with the traditional Pap smear, but experts have been advocating for a switch to the more accurate HPV test, which directly detects the virus that causes cervical cancer. According to Vandenbroucke, it does not have to mean that the smear can no longer play a role. It is still useful for women between the ages of 25 and 29 and can also play a role in further investigating positive HPV tests, according to the minister.
According to Vandenbroucke, his Flemish colleague Hilde Crevits (CD&V) is on board. He expressed the hope that the other states will soon give their approval. That should make it possible to make the switch from late 2024, early 2025.