Ensuring the legacy of the HPV South East Europe Conference

On Friday 14 March, the European Cancer Organisation held a follow-up meeting for the HPV South East Europe conference. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the participants. The community's insights and contributions were invaluable as we continue to work towards advancing HPV prevention and control across the region.

The meeting focused on building momentum from the ‘Message Across Borders’ Declaration, which was created ahead of the January conference in Sofia. The declaration emphasized the critical need for regional cooperation to tackle common HPV-related challenges, and we’re pleased to move forward with several key initiatives discussed:

  • Strengthening data and monitoring systems
    Efforts will focus on improving data collection and analysis to better understand HPV prevalence, vaccine uptake, and screening effectiveness across the region.
  • Engaging stakeholders for collective action
    The meeting reinforced the importance of collaboration among governments, healthcare professionals, patient organizations, and civil society to drive policy change and raise public awareness.
  • Expanding gender-neutral vaccination coverage
    A major goal moving forward is to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, have equal access to HPV vaccination for broader protection.
  • Enhancing screening programmes
    We are committed to improving early detection efforts by making screening methods more accessible and effective.
  • Addressing common challenges together
    The meeting also highlighted the need for collective action to address barriers such as disparities in healthcare infrastructure, resource limitations, and cross-border issues.

We encourage all members to share any relevant progress or developments in your country since the conference. Your experiences are key to inspiring further action across the South East Europe.

If you haven’t already signed the ‘Message Across Borders’ Declaration, we invite you to do so. Your endorsement is vital in strengthening our collective voice for HPV prevention efforts. If you wish to be involved in this initiative, please reach out to silvia.romeo@europeancancer.org.