Technical Meeting:

Reaching the elimination goals: Insights into Programmatic Realities

Antwerp, Belgium – 2026

 

Meeting Objectives
  • Share progress on HPV Vaccination coverage: Discuss the real-world impact of one-dose HPV vaccine schedules on coverage and exchange perspectives on how countries can maintain momentum as they transition out of Gavi eligibility.
  • Explore Alignment in Methodologies: Review current efforts to align childhood and HPV vaccination tracking and discuss how to simplify reporting requirements to better serve programmatic monitoring.
  • Discuss the “Data Dilemma”: Identify challenges in reconciling administrative data with population-based surveys (like DHS) and explore ways to better link immunization and screening data systems to understand long-term outcomes.
  • Reflect on the Screening Implementation Gap: Examine the complexities of national screening algorithms (the “Frankenstein” approach) and share practical insights into addressing bottlenecks like loss to follow-up.
  • Discuss Innovations for Scale: Explore the potential for sustainable implementation of new technologies, such as AI-assisted triage and point-of-care HPV tests, by discussing what makes these tools “fit for purpose” in the field.
  • Highlight Regional and Resource-Specific Needs: Discuss context-specific topics in sub-Saharan Africa and the clinical hurdles of implementing treatment in low-resource settings.
  • Facilitate Expert Exchange: Provide a platform for country representatives and experts to share success stories and discuss different approaches to prevention based on available resources.

    MDEON Visa Number: (26/V2/16327/010992)

DAY 1 – Thursday, May 28, 2026

SESSION 1: WELCOME SESSION
Chairs: Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp)

  • Welcome and Introduction
    Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp) (Pdf, Video)
  • Setting the scene
    HPV Board Scientific Secretariat (Pdf, Video)

Session 2: HPV VACCINATION PROGRESS AND IMPACT OF SINGLE DOSE
Chairs: Raúl Murillo (Centro Javeriano de Oncología) & Marc Arbyn (Sciensano)

  • Impact of single dose on HPV vaccination coverage
    Laia Bruni (ICO) (Pdf, Video)
  • Role of single dose HPV vaccination in expanding access in supply constrained period
    Robyn Stuart (Gates Foundation) (Pdf, Video)
  • Q&A (Video)

    SESSION 3: REDIFINING COVERAGE MEASUREMENT AND METHODOLOGY
    Chairs: Laia Bruni (ICO) & Nayab Waheed (University of Antwerp)

    • Unified Methodologies for Vaccination Tracking:
      Discussion on the work to merge childhood vaccine and HPV methodologies into a single unified approach
      Marta Gacic-Dobo (WHO) (Pdf, Video)
    • Improving methods for measuring the coverage and equity of HPV vaccination in Liberia, Rwanda, and Senegal
      Elizabeth Kemigisha (African Population and Health Research Center)
    • Vaccine Registry Experiences from Latin America
      Marcela Contreras (PAHO) – Online (Pdf, Video)
    • Q&A
    • Role of Surveys: Evaluating the future of data collection as DHS (Demographic and Health Surveys) will be discontinued, and how to build sustainable national systems to reconcile survey vs. administrative data
      Carolina Danovaro (WHO) (Pdf, Video)
    • JSI Tracking HPV vaccination coverage using administrative data: Lessons learned on data recording, reporting, and quality in Nigeria
      Proma Paul (JSI)
    • CHRONOS – Centre of Excellence to Monitor the impact of HPV vaccination
      Alina Macacu (IARC) (Pdf, Video)
    • Use of FVU urine in measuring vaccination coverage
      Alex Vorsters (UA) (Pdf, Video)
    • Discussion and Q&A
    • Data Linkage and Monitoring: Applying Linked Data to Strengthen Equity in HPV Immunization and Cervical Screening Uptake, and to Monitor Outcomes Over Time
      Kirsty Roy (NHS Scotland) (Pdf, Video)
    • Q&A

    SESSION 4: ROUNDTABLE – INTERPRETING COVERAGE DATA – OPEN MIC
    Chairs: Nelly Rwamba Mugo (KEMRI) & Deborah Watson-Jones (LSHTM)

    • Focus: Interpretation of HPV vaccine coverage – exploring vaccine valency implications, and regional needs for HPV vaccination programs (Video)

    SESSION 5: THE GAP BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE IN HPV-BASED SCREENING
    Chairs: Silvia de Sanjosé (ISGlobal) and Raul Murillo (Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI))

    • Why global cervical cancer screening coverage remains low
      Maribel Almonte (IARC) (Pdf, Video)
    • National Algorithms: a review of the PAHO region’s experience, where countries often combine various best practices and guidelines into hybrid implementation models.
      Mauricio Maza (PAHO) – online
    • Gaps between policy and practice in real-world implementation for HPV screening – Country examples: 
      – Experience from Tanzania and Malawi – Federica Inturrisi (MSF) (Pdf, Video)
      – Belgium – Cindy Simoens (Sciensano) (Pdf, Video)
      – Indo Pacific Region Focus and Australia – Dave Hawkes (Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer) – online
    • Q&A – Discussion

    DAY 2 – Friday, May 29, 2026

    DAY 2: WELCOME SESSION
    Chairs: Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp)

    Welcome and overview of day 1 discussions and emerging topics (Video)
    Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp)

     

    SESSION 6: HPV-BASED SCREENING: TEST VALIDATION PATHWAYS
    Chairs: Dave Hawkes (Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer) & Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp)

    • Navigating the Proliferation of HPV Tests: Perspectives for accelerated validation pathways to help countries choose tests that are fit for purpose
      Marc Arbyn (Sciensano)
    • Q&A

    SESSION 7: PANEL DISCUSSION – LOSS TO FOLLOW-UP IN SCREENING PROGRAMS
    Chairs: Anna Giuliano (Moffitt Cancer Centre) & Marc Steben (HPV Global Action)

    • Panel Discussion: Navigating Loss to Follow-up
      Focus: Experts discuss practical strategies to ensure women move from a positive screen to treatment, addressing the “weakest link” in current programs

       

      Panelists:
      Global – Maribel Almonte (IARC) (Video)
      African Perspective – Issimouha Dille Mahamadou (WHO AFRO) – online (Pdf, Video)
      Belgium       – Koen Van Herck (Belgian Cancer Registry) (Pdf, Video)
      Colombia       – Raul Murillo (Hospital Universitario San Ignacio (HUSI))

    SESSION 8: KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION – PRAGMATIC CHALLENGES IN TREATMENT
    Chairs: Maribel Almonte (WHO) & Silvia de Sanjosé (ISGlobal)

    • Pragmatic Challenges in Treatment

    Panelists:

    – Miriam Cremer – Basic Health International (Pdf, Video)
    – Wendy McMullen – NHS Scotland (Pdf, Video)
    – Nelly Mugo – KEMRI (Video)

    SESSION 9: BREAKOUT GROUPS

    • Breakout group 1 – HPV Vaccination:
      Coverage Data Quality: Measurement and Methods
      &
      Single-dose schedule: impact and coverage
    • Breakout group 2 – HPV Screening:
      New HPV Tests, Validation and Point-of-Care Technology
      &
      Loss to Follow-Up and the Single-Visit Screen-to-Treat Model
    • Plenary feedback

    SESSION 10: CONCLUSIONS
    Chairs: HPV Board Scientific Secretariat

    • Conclusions
      HPV Board Scientific Secretariat (Pdf, Video)
    • Concluding remarks
      Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp)