Target population
Challenge
Cervical cancer is detectable and preventable in pre-malignant stages through public health interventions such as education, vaccination, screening programs and the early management of pre-malignant lesions. Reliable cervical screening programs have been implemented in most high-income countries and have significantly reduced the cervical cancer incidence and mortality by at least 80%. However, screening is not made accessible and adapted to every woman around the world, increasing the risk of cervical cancer in these populations considered hard-to-reach.
Solution
The ELEVATE project will conduct social science investigations to profile hard-to-reach women in Belgium, Brazil, Ecuador and Portugal and to address the social/contextual barriers women face when being tested for cervical cancer. These barriers will be considered when designing and developing the new HPV testing device, but this knowledge will also allow for optimised screening initiatives that will enhance participation among hard-to-reach women. Ultimately, this information will inform the further refinement of national health strategies for cancer prevention and optimisation of existing cancer control strategies in Latin-America and Europe.