At Eve, we’re looking forward to working with the new government.
This is a photograph of the new Prime Minister visiting the UCL lab team back in 2015. 
He’s photographed with an incredible advocate and campaigner, a true womb warrior, Daloni Carlisle, who was diagnosed with womb cancer in 2012.
The Eve research team is driving innovative research in cancer prevention, UCL is in Sir Keir Starmer’s constituency. He wanted to find out more and spent the morning speaking to the scientists and patients about the need to invest in prevention, and our shared ambition to change the story on the gynaecological cancers.
As a science graduate and health writer Daloni was shocked by her own diagnosis. She didn’t fit the typical profile a the ‘usual’ gynae cancer diagnosis, and she’d never even heard of womb cancer before being told she had it. Taken aback from the start by the fact that it was the fourth most common cancer in women and a disease she, a health and science writer, had never come across or been told to be vigilant for, Daloni was immediately on a mission to find out more.
When I was prepping for my interview as CEO of Eve, I came across an article in The Guardian written by Daloni. She spoke to a number of medics, researchers and scientists – including some supported by Eve. The message was clear: we needed to change the story on gynaecological cancers, more research was needed and a focus on prevention and early diagnosis the most effective way to do this.
Fast forward 9 years from when this photo of Daloni and our new Prime Minister was taken. Daloni died four years ago in 2020. She didn’t ‘lose her fight’ against this cancer. She was unlucky. Her diagnosis came late, symptoms went uninvestigated and her BRCA gene mutation was unknown. On looking at the photo of the two of them talking, one of Daloni’s daughters remarked: ‘that’s mum with her trademark, I mean business face’. She did indeed and Sir Keir listened intently and we hope will be listening to Eve now.
The next government has the opportunity to do more and better for those affected by the gynaecological cancers. The mission-driven government that’s been described in the manifesto means all of us raising our sights and focusing on ambitious, measurable, long-term targets. It also means a new way of doing government that is more joined up – something which is so needed to address the issues across health (it can never be seen in isolation).
Prevention is also at the heart of the manifesto. It is, and will always be better, and cheaper, than cure when it comes to cancer. Putting prevention at the heart of both public health measures and also medical research is key.
The UK has stark health inequalities. It is not right or fair that life expectancy varies so widely across and within communities. Core to our mission at Eve is to ensure that we reach all groups who need us most and who are impacted by health inequity and inequality.
For the Daloni’s of the past, the present and the future, we want to see the next government prioritise women’s health, invest in prevention and intentionally drive closing the gap in health disparities.
With the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Analiese Dodd, with Peter Kyle leading on Science, Innovation and Technology, and of course the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting (who has himself been affected by a rare and less common cancer at a young age), we’re rolling our sleeves up to help the new government meet their mission on health.