A LEADING politician has called for increased measures to help prevent cervical cancer.

Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green wants to see measures introduced to halt declining numbers of women having cervical screening and the continued promotion of HPV vaccination amongst teenage girls.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which runs from Jan 25 to Jan 31.

Currently eight women a day in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with three women losing their lives to the disease.

The latest figures on cervical screening (smear test) uptake in England, showed that the numbers over one million women had not taken up an opportunity to be screened in 2013/2014.

More than one in five women in Trafford (22.9 per cent), aged 25-64 have not been screened over the past five years.

HPV vaccination helps offer protection against 70 per cent of the high risk strains associated with cervical cancers.

The latest figures also showed that 28,000 girls aged 12 to 13, chose not to receive any of the three doses of the vaccine required for the best protection possible.

Ms Green said she was challenging the Trafford NHS area team to develop an action plan to ensure that women and girls are aware of the symptoms and impact of cervical cancer and to increase uptake of cervical screening and HPV vaccination.