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| Women In Government (WIG) President, Mary Brooks Beatty (left), and WIG Board Member, Representative Patti Bellock (right), with Marian Harkin MEP (center). Marian Harkin is a Member of the European Parliament (Ireland) where she is a member of the Delegation for relations with the United States, and she is also one of the co-chairs of the Politicians for Cervical Cancer Prevention. |
Illinois Representative Patti Bellock, Midwestern Regional Director on the Women In Government Board of Directors, gave the keynote address at the Fourth Annual European Cervical Cancer Summit Meeting held by the European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA) and Politicians for Cervical Cancer Prevention. The meeting was held January 24-30, 2010 in Brussels, Belgium in the European Parliament. The meeting was held to review the state and progress of cervical cancer prevention programs across Europe. Additionally, this meeting reviewed technologies available in the fight against cervical cancer, including advances in screening tools, and the role these advances play in prevention programs.
Representative Bellock was chosen to speak on behalf of Women In Government due to her long-standing commitment to cervical cancer issues. Representative Bellock has been a State Director with Women In Government since 2003. She was an active part of WIG during the launch of the Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign in 2004, and remains a large part of its ongoing success. In 2009, Representative Bellock was awarded the Presidential Leadership Award at Women In Government’s 5th Annual HPV & Cervical Cancer Summit for her advocacy efforts. She has been a strong supporter for preventive services for HPV and cervical cancer, including the promotion of the adolescent well visit.
Representative Bellock’s keynote address in Brussels discussed the steps that Women In Government took to make the Challenge to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Campaign successful in the United States: gathering information; identifying public policy challenges and strategies; educating policymakers; finding and building non-governmental partnerships to advance government efforts; and leveraging partnerships and supporting policymakers.
She also highlighted some of the challenges that WIG has faced since the Campaign’s launch in 2004, including the emergence of two HPV vaccines, outdated policies and changing data.
Women In Government congratulates Representative Bellock on this fantastic opportunity to share our story and to collaborate with women worldwide to eradicate this disease!
To view photos from this event, click here.
