AQW 33612/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 15/10/2025
Answered On Date: 30/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps he is taking to improve public awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms and routes to early diagnosis, given that survival rates here remain among the lowest in Europe.

Answer:

The Public Health Agency (PHA) works closely with the Department of Health, local Health and Social Care Trusts, and other partners to support a range of activities to raise awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms and routes to earlier diagnosis, including:

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - each March the PHA issue a press release and social media messaging to increase awareness of ovarian cancer (https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month-be-aware-signs-and-symptoms-0).

Social media - the PHA posts regularly through social media channels to promote cancer awareness messaging, providing information on the signs and symptoms of cancer, including ovarian cancer, and healthy changes people can make to help reduce their risk of developing cancer in the future.

‘Be Cancer Aware’ Website - all PHA cancer awareness messaging signposts to its ‘Be Cancer Aware’ website. The website provides information about the signs and symptoms of a range of cancers, including ovarian cancer, and signposts to recommended sources of support or further information (https://www.becancerawareni.info/signs-and-symptoms/ovarian-cancer).