Strategies for Health Interventions to Eliminate Infection-Related Cancers Joint Action (SHIELD) 2025–2028
Project Information
Duration: 36 months (November 2025 – October 2028)
Funding: EU4Health Programme (European Health and Digital Executive Agency, HaDEA)
Coordinator: Centre for Health Intervention Research (CHIP), Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Consortium: 69 partners from 25 European countries, including public health institutes, research organisations, healthcare providers and policymakers. Cyprus University of Technology participates as affiliated partner together with the Cyprus Ministry of Health
About the Project
SHIELD is a European Joint Action dedicated to reducing cancers caused by preventable and treatable infections. Around one in eight cancer cases in Europe is linked to an infection, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV), HIV and tuberculosis (TB). Many of these cancers could be prevented through vaccination, screening, testing, early treatment and fair access to healthcare, yet uptake of these interventions remains uneven, especially among vulnerable and underserved groups.
SHIELD treats these infections as interconnected rather than separate problems. It brings together research, public health expertise and policy collaboration to help countries design, implement and sustain integrated prevention programmes, with a strong focus on equity and on reducing stigma and discrimination. The Joint Action supports the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Council Recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers.
Objectives
SHIELD pursues four interlinked objectives:
- Reduce premature illness and death from infection-related cancers by developing comprehensive and effective prevention programmes for HPV, HBV, HCV, HIV and TB.
- Identify and address structural barriers and raise awareness to increase uptake of HPV and HBV vaccination.
- Improve the monitoring of HPV and HBV vaccination coverage in vulnerable groups.
- Tackle stigma and discrimination related to these diseases and strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals.
Methodology
SHIELD is organised into thematic and transversal work packages. Key components include:
- Modelling
- Evaluating the impact and cost-effectiveness of screening and vaccination strategies to support decision-making at national level.
- Structural barriers and best practices
- Identifying and validating good practices that improve HPV and HBV vaccination uptake among groups experiencing health inequities.
- Pilot projects to test whether practices transfer to other countries, and communication activities to raise awareness and counter vaccine misinformation.
- Monitoring vaccine coverage
- Mapping best practices and piloting GDPR-compliant monitoring systems, registries and data linkage to track vaccination coverage in vulnerable groups.
- Stigma reduction
- Supporting partners to turn policy commitments into action against stigma and discrimination related to HIV, hepatitis, TB and STIs in healthcare and educational settings.
- Capacity building
- Community and health system assessments to identify barriers and good practices, and training to equip healthcare workers to deliver culturally competent prevention, vaccination, testing and care.
- Sustainability
- Embedding results into national policies and programmes and developing recommendations for lasting impact beyond the Joint Action.
Target Groups
SHIELD focuses on:
- Vulnerable and underserved populations at higher risk of infection-related cancers
- Healthcare professionals involved in prevention, vaccination, testing and care
- National and EU-level policymakers and public health authorities
- Public health institutes, research organisations and healthcare providers
- Community organisations and civil society working on infectious diseases, stigma and health equity
Impact
SHIELD is expected to:
- Provide evidence on the impact and cost-effectiveness of prevention strategies, tailored to different national contexts.
- Deliver validated, transferable good practices to increase HPV and HBV vaccination uptake among groups experiencing health inequities.
- Strengthen monitoring of vaccination coverage in vulnerable groups across Europe.
- Reduce stigma and discrimination in healthcare and educational settings and build the capacity of healthcare professionals.
- Support Member States in embedding results into national policies and programmes, contributing to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and to efforts to eliminate these diseases as public health threats by 2030.
Publications
Team Members
![Christiana Nicolaou[2]](https://bsihlab.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Christiana-Nicolaou2-qowsjrl79xrikkmpqkqddpir04wni614qd9z3zxuo8.jpg "Christiana Nicolaou[2]")
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Partners
Funder
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
