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Implementing HPV primary testing to prevent cervical cancer in NZ: Te Tai Tokerau

Year:
2020
Duration:
48 months
Approved budget:
$1,398,122.00
Researchers:
Professor Beverley Lawton
,
Dr Evelyn MacDonald
,
Ms Anna Adcock
,
Professor Stacie Geller
,
Dr Kendall Stevenson
,
Associate Professor Jo-Ann Stanton
,
Associate Professor Peter Sykes
,
Associate Professor Marion Saville
,
Associate Professor David Hawkes
,
Dr Nokuthaba Sibanda
,
Professor Merilyn Hibma
Health issue:
Cancer (oncology)
Proposal type:
Project
Lay summary
The World Health Organization has called for the global elimination of cervical cancer. Two major technologies will contribute to this aim. The first is HPV vaccination, which is already offered to all adolescents through the school vaccination programme. The second is testing for the HPV virus. HPV primary screening is more effective in detecting cervical changes and will prevent a further 15% of new cancers when compared to cytology. Our work has shown that HPV self-testing is very acceptable to under-screened Māori women. There are important questions that need to be answered before a national programme of HPV primary screening is implemented in NZ. This project, “Te Tai Tokerau”, is designed to investigate effective implementation strategies working alongside district health boards, primary care, communities and the Ministry of Health. The objective is an informed efficient primary HPV screening programme to reduce cervical cancer incidence and death in NZ.