EU Joint Action PERCH: Partnership to contrast HPV
The launch of the European Joint Action PartnERship to Contrast HPV (PERCH) took place on 5 December 2022 in Brussels. Led by the Italian Institute of Health – ISS (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), the three-year PERCH project shares many parallels with RIVER-EU, and hence offers opportunities to strengthen mutual objectives to improve HPV vaccine uptake in Europe. The EU4Health programme co-funds the project, which will run until June 2025.
The participating partners, representing 16 EU Member States and Norway, aim to support national efforts to extend routine HPV vaccination, in order to eliminate cervical cancer and reduce other cancers caused by HPV in the coming decade. PERCH focuses on the HPV vaccine and targets adolescents and their parents, schoolteachers and health professionals in the general population. Similarly, RIVER-EU also focuses on HPV – as well as MMR vaccines – though includes a particular focus on selected underserved communities to reduce HPV vaccination inequalities.
PERCH initiated its work with a context analysis, in order to understand how HPV vaccination and HPV screening are implemented and monitored in all participating countries (Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden).
The determinants of why people are not receiving HPV vaccinations will then be analysed to increase knowledge and awareness of the drivers of vaccine uptake. A training curriculum will subsequently be developed, and some modules implemented to support health personnel in vaccination communication. Finally, by the end of the Joint Action, participating Member States will either prepare new or reinvigorate existing HPV vaccination campaigns in their countries.
RIVER-EU will continue to monitor the PERCH project as it progresses, and explore opportunities to exchange research and insights.
For more information about PERCH, stay tuned by following the project on Twitter @HPVprojectPERCH.
Access the PERCH website here.
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