About Our 'Manifesto for life'

In December 2003, the European Code against cancer and the EU Council developed recommendations, which specified that men and women over 50 years of age should participate in colorectal cancer screening. Yet to date only 12 EU Member States have made any progress with implementing screening programmes that could help save the lives of thousands of colorectal cancer patients. Fewer than half the population who should be covered by screening according to the recommendations is in fact being offered screening!

With this in mind, europacolon developed the 'Manifesto for Life', which aims to improve public understanding of the urgent need for colorectal screening programmes in Europe. The battle to improve screening for colorectal cancer is one that should be fought at ground level in every country by encouraging the citizens of Europe to publicly demand implementation of colorectal cancer screening and access to best treatments and care governments can be spurred to take action.

The aim of europacolon's 'Manifesto For life' is to gather 1.5 million signatures from patients and their families and from citizens across Europe, all declaring their support for the full and urgent implementation of EU recommendations concerning colorectal cancer screening in each of the 27 member states.

europacolon together with its Affiliates and Associates is at the forefront of the campaign to introduce population screening in all member states. By bringing these key issues to the attention of new and returning European Parliament candidates and to the new Health Commission europacolon hopes to generate action and to bring us closer to achieving our goals of saving thousands of lives through early diagnoses of the disease.

By supporting our 'Manifesto for life' you too can make a difference!