Impacting the Cervical Cancer Burden in India: Collective Efforts and Strategies to Train Health Care Providers on HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening

PURPOSE Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in India. More than 77,000 women die each year due to cervical cancer, accounting for 23% of all cervical cancer deaths globally. The Global HPV Cancer Free program of the American Cancer Society (ACS) envisions a world free of HPV cancers, starting with cervical cancer. METHODS To increase uptake of cervical cancer prevention services in India, ACS has partnered with civil society organizations (CSOs) with a mission to prevent cancers to catalyze engagement of trusted health care providers through implementation of two programs at the national and district level. A key component is training health care providers at multiple levels to increase knowledge, confidence, beliefs and intent around HPV vaccination and cervical screening. At the national level, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), with support from Cancer Foundation of India (CFI) and ACS, are convening and training 20,000+ pediatricians and obstetrician-gynecologists via a train-the-trainer model. The training refreshes physicians on HPV vaccination facts and shares evidence-based messaging and communication strategies. At the district level, Cancer Awareness, Prevention, and Early Detection (CAPED), in collaboration with selected districts across three states, is training community health workers (CHWs) and primary health center (PHC) nurses to facilitate and mobilize community uptake of cervical cancer prevention services, starting with screening. RESULTS CAPED's 2022 pilot successfully trained 213 CHWs and 61 nurses covering 73 villages, who mobilized 5,653 women for cervical screenings. Implementation of both programs will wrap up in 2024, and data from the program evaluation will be explored to assess the impact on cervical cancer prevention. CONCLUSION As one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, cervical cancer is a significant burden in India. Health care providers are the most trusted source of health information for the community. A strong recommendation can increase the demand and uptake of cervical cancer prevention services across communities. This poster and/or presentation will describe the two programs in more detail along with successes, challenges, lessons learned, and impact.