European Joint Action on Strategy for Health Interventions for Elimination of Infection-Related Cancer (Shield)

Combining different strategies into a comprehensive and effective prevention programme requires close coordination among various stakeholders, the public, public health authorities, social support structures, healthcare systems, and health researchers. The main focus of the project is to identify and reduce potential structural and individual barriers that hinder the implementation of immunisation and other prevention programmes.

The aim of SHIELD is to develop an effective intervention programme for the whole of Europe, combining various complementary competences that have already been applied in this field. During the implementation of the project, it will be ensured that appropriate preventive measures are introduced in all European countries at a sufficient extent. Barriers hindering the implementation of these measures will be identified at both structural and individual level. Particular attention will be paid to the role of stigmatisation and discrimination in relation to infectious diseases, especially HIV.

Using modelling approaches, SHIELD aims to identify the optimal combination of preventive measures to be implemented in different countries and specific institutions. Initially, all primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive measures are intended to be covered in order to maximise their impact on reducing the incidence of infection-related cancers, rather than focusing solely on increasing vaccination coverage.

Rīga Stradiņš University's involvement

• DP5 – evaluation of national biomedical prevention programmes (including integrated testing and vaccination) and implementation of measures to reduce disease-related stigma and discrimination (HIV, hepatitis virus, tuberculosis, and STIs)
• DP6 – improvement of vaccination coverage monitoring and evaluation of the impact of integrated vaccination and screening programmes
• DP7 – reducing barriers to vaccination and improvement of prevention strategies against HPV and hepatitis B (HBV)
• DP8 – building intervention capacity at the European, national, and community level for risk groups