Offering combined HPV vaccination and HPV test-based cervical screening to vulnerable populations. A hybrid efficacy and implementation study

HPV-FASTER-Implement aims to improve cervical cancer (CC) prevention. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and CC screening programmes have significantly reduced mortality, they have reached a plateau because they remain largely inaccessible and underused by vulnerable populations, creating inequalities in the European healthcare system. This adds to the difficulties already faced by vulnerable populations in their efforts to maintain their mental and physical health. HPV-FASTER-Implement will create a Europe-wide knowledge framework on vulnerabilities and the health challenges they pose, as well as the tools to monitor their evolution. HPV-FASTER-Implement will work with stakeholder representatives, primarily from vulnerable populations, to identify context-specific strategies to deliver combined HPV vaccines and HPV-based CC screening to eligible vulnerable populations, thereby reducing the burden of CC in Europe. HPV-FASTER-Implement will develop health education interventions, communication activities and other services to meet the need of vulnerable population with high risk of CC and inadequate access to health services. Through stakeholder engagement, health literacy promotion, mathematical modelling, implementation research, and vulnerability mapping, we will collect, analyse and share knowledge on gaps and opportunities to improve CC prevention in Europe, and progress FASTER towards CC elimination. We will work to ensure that the data we produce are translated into policy recommendations aimed at strengthening national prevention programmes with interventions tailored to vulnerable populations. In this way, we can leverage limited resources to rapidly reduce CC mortality. We aim to reduce health inequalities by offering an innovative prevention intervention to women at risk, with the hope that 50% of those offered the intervention will take it. HPV-FASTER-Implement will make the necessary improvements to European CC prevention policies.