ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Serie A Women and MSD Italia launch a new communication campaign, approved by the Ministry of Health, “Blocca l’HPV con la vaccinazione”. The initiative is part of a collaborative project that goes beyond the sporting aspect, pursuing a public health objective and giving voice to the importance of preventing HPV-related cancers. The project adopts a multichannel approach and is based on an immediate and effective metaphor: the gesture of the goalkeeper that blocks the ball, symbol of defense and protection, is associated with the action of the vaccine against the HPV virus. As well as stopping the ball avoids the opposing team from scoring and begging for defeat, vaccination also allows for “blocking” the HPV, preventing the development of potentially deadly tumors throughout life in men and women. Gabriele Gravina, president FIGC, commented: “Sport is synonymous with well-being and FIGC is committed daily in the dissemination of good prevention practices. Thanks to the collaboration with MSD Italia, with which we share the value of health protection, we want to promote an ambitious awareness campaign that aims to encourage vaccination and therefore prevention against HPV, a virus can be cause potentially lethal tumors both between women and men. Through its sensitivity and its great potential in terms of communication, football is an instrument for transmitting socially useful messages.” “I am proud that the A Women Series has chosen to support such an important issue of Public Health,” says Federica Cappelletti, president of the A Women Series. “We know that HPV-related tumors are an important challenge for both women and men and we are ready to do our part to spread these prevention messages as much as possible. Our goal is to protect all people. It is essential to strengthen our defence by adhering to the vaccination and screening programs offered by the National Health Service, just like the goalkeepers who protect their door every week by blocking the balloons. Only by joining forces and acting like a real team can really make a difference.” “Being part of a communication project together with those who represent one of the greatest passions of Italians is for us a reason of great pride,” says Nicoletta Luppi, President and CEO of MSD Italia. “Aver created with the A Women Series a vaccination campaign of this magnitude is an important step in our commitment to the prevention of Papillomavirus, which we consider an investment in the future of people and the country. Thanks to a creativity made with modern techniques and innovative communication channels, we can reach an increasingly wide audience. We want to continue to be allies of the National Health Service and all stakeholders involved, with the aim of stopping HPV-related tumors, also through information and awareness initiatives. Working together with the Italian Women’s Football Championship, we have a great opportunity to win the game of prevention.” The heart of the campaign is a video that shows spectacular parades of the goalkeepers, made with artificial intelligence systems and inspired by the true actions of the players of the Serie A Women. At the end of each scene the message is clear: “Block HPV with vaccination”, with the invitation to ask your doctor, reference vaccination center, or visit www.infohpv.it (authorized by the Ministry of Health). The campaign will be visible on all digital channels, Youtube and social media (Facebook and TikTok), and will be programmed on DAZN during the Serie A Women games until the end of the championship and on other TV channels during the Coppa Italia Women. In addition, the message will be promoted on the LEDs on the Italian stadiums that will host the Coppa Italia Women.L’HPV, or Papillomavirus, represents the sexually transmitted infection most widespread in both sexes. In most cases, the virus regresses spontaneously; however, when this does not happen, it can evolve into precancerous lesions and potentially lethal tumors. To date, in Europe, it is estimated that HPV is still the cause of 100% of uterine cervix tumors, 88% of anus tumors, 78% of vagina tumors, 25% of vulva, 53% of penis tumors and 30% of oropharyngeal tumors. In Italy, it is estimated that every year about 8,800 tumors are caused by chronic infections of the papillomavirus. To address this important issue of public health, two prevention strategies were developed: vaccination, available for both men and women (for prophylaxis of precancerous lesions and cancers of the uterine cervix, vulva, vagina and anus, genital condilomas) and screening of the uterine cervix tumor, reserved for female target. “Papillomavirus prevention is one of the main challenges of public health.” Enrico Di Rosa, President of Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI). “We work to reach a world free of this virus and HPV-related diseases and tumors by teaming up with all public health actors. It is a goal that we can and must achieve by successfully implementing the prevention strategies at our disposal: vaccination aimed at men and women and screening programs dedicated to the female population. Campaigns like this are important to push the general population to ask for more information to their doctor or vaccination center so as to study the most correct prevention plan for each individual at every age.” “Thanks to the prevention of HPV we can reach an important milestone and make the tumor of the cervix increasingly rare. The possibility of avoiding the occurrence of a potentially lethal carcinoma is an opportunity that we can absolutely not lose.” This comment by Elsa Viora, President of Società Italiana Ginecology e Ostetricia (SIGO), who added: “ Primary prevention, through vaccination, combined with secondary prevention, through screening (PAP-Test and HPV DNA Test), are the tools that can support us in achieving this goal. Let us remember, however, that HPV is not only a female theme, it also affects men, who can become carriers of the virus or develop other tumors and precancerous lesions. Prevention is and must be of all.” – foto mec/Italpress-
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