Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally, despite being largely preventable. In war-affected regions, where access to routine healthcare is severely disrupted, innovative approaches are urgently needed. A new project led by Dr. Sara Arroyo Mühr, researcher at Karolinska Institutet and Scientific Lead at the International Human Papillomavirus Reference Center (IHRC), aims to implement a pilot HPV self-sampling programme in eastern Ukraine in collaboration with Zaporizhzhia State Medical University.
“It is remarkable that Ukrainian researchers have developed their own HPV assay in the fight against cervical cancer elimination,” says Dr. Sara Arroyo Mühr. “At the IHRC, we will contribute to the quality assurance of this test, ensuring its performance meets international standards for use in HPV-based screening.”
The project will be implemented in Zaporizhzhia, a city located just 35 km from the active war zone. Women aged 30 to 60 will be offered HPV self-sampling, an approach that reduces the need for clinic visits and improves access to preventive care, even in crisis settings.
The initiative builds on earlier pilot efforts in Ukraine that were interrupted by the war. Planned activities include distributing self-sampling kits, establishing a centralized database, developing protocols, and training healthcare professionals.
“Our goal is to lay the groundwork for a sustainable, scalable cervical cancer screening programme in Ukraine, while generating evidence that can inform similar initiatives in other conflict-affected regions,” says Dr. Arroyo Mühr.
The two-year project, “Human papillomavirus self-sampling for enhancing cervical screening during the war in Ukraine”, has received €235,980 in funding from the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), through the Reimagining Cancer Research in Europe Initiative.