Eliminating HPV-related cancers

El Maohub, Yassmeen; Suggs, L. Suzanne

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Eliminating HPV-related cancers : strategic recommendations for Swiss Health Policy. Literature review report

El Maohub, Yassmeen ORCID Istituto di comunicazione e politiche pubbliche (ICPP), Facoltà di comunicazione, cultura e società, Università della Svizzera italiana, Svizzera
Suggs, L. Suzanne ORCID Istituto di comunicazione e politiche pubbliche (ICPP), Facoltà di comunicazione, cultura e società, Università della Svizzera italiana, Svizzera

Lugano, 2025

English Background: Switzerland faces a considerable burden from HPV-related cancers despite implementing HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening programs. Vaccination coverage among girls remains below the WHO target of 90%, and cervical screening practices primarily rely on opportunistic cytology-based methods. Purpose: To examine HPV elimination efforts in countries that 1) have adopted an HPV-related cancers elimination plan, 2) countries without an elimination plan that are either neighboring Switzerland or have made noteworthy progress. Methods: Key drivers of adoption and challenges were identified through a review of grey literature, academic and scientific publications, and expert interviews. Results: Thirteen countries were analyzed, and insights from ten experts were collected and reviewed. Nations with an elimination plan demonstrate significant progress toward the WHO’s 2030 targets through integrated primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention efforts, despite challenges such as political support, coordination, and data gaps. In contrast, countries without an elimination plan show limited progress, except for Denmark, which has implemented robust prevention programs despite lacking a formal elimination plan. Conclusion: For Switzerland, prioritizing the establishment of a national strategy that integrates all three pillars of elimination presents a timely and important opportunity to eliminate HPV-related cancers and their burden in this country.

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