Hosted at the Bulgarian Parliament in Sofia, NOMAN: Race to End HPV was proud to reinforce its dedication to global HPV cancer elimination efforts by sponsoring A Shared Vision for South East Europe: Eliminating HPV Cancers Together. The conference served as a platform to strengthen regional collaboration, share successful practices, and discuss challenges and opportunities for the new year in combating HPV-related cancers across borders in South East Europe.
Initiated by the European Cancer Organisation and the HPV Coalition Bulgaria, the conference brought together representatives from 10 countries in the region at the Bulgarian National Assembly, and culminated in the signing of the Message Beyond Borders memorandum, committing to the elimination of HPV-related cancers and advocating for gender-neutral HPV vaccination across the region.
Distinguished speakers included key Bulgarian representatives such as Speaker of the Parliament Natalia Kiselova and Chairman of the Health Committee Professor Kostadin Angelov. Their leadership underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation in the fight against HPV-related diseases.
By convening stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, the event aimed to accelerate progress towards the elimination of these cancers across the region. Critical topics included increasing vaccination uptake and coverage, improving access to cervical screening, and overcoming barriers to prevention. With regional collaboration at its core, the event provided a vital platform for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and advocates to discuss actionable steps toward achieving HPV cancer elimination.
This conference was the latest project NOMAN: Race to End HPV had undertaken in collaboration with the European Cancer Organisation to combat HPV cancers in Europe since their partnership began in 2019, and the event was particularly timely following the announcement that Kosovo would expand its HPV vaccination programme to include boys starting in February 2025.
This initiative marks a significant step forward in ensuring that HPV-related cancers became a thing of the past and the commitment demonstrated at the conference paved the way for stronger, more coordinated efforts to enhance public health across South East Europe.
This was reinforced by the signature of the Message Beyond Borders -- a Joint Declaration by representatives and organisations in the South East Europe region which have publicly committed to working collaboratively towards the elimination of HPV cancers for the benefits of all peoples, in order to create a future free from the burden of HPV, safeguarding the health of future generations through:
1. Strengthening Data and Monitoring Systems
2. Engaging Stakeholders for Collective Action
3. Expanding Gender-Neutral Vaccination Coverage
4. Enhancing Screening Programmes
5. Addressing Common Challenges Together
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