As part of the 19th European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, Health Insurance, the ARS and the CRCDC are mobilizing to promote screening and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV).
From January 23 to 29, 2025, the 19th European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week will take place across Europe. In Tarn, Health Insurance, in partnership with the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie and the Regional Cancer Screening Coordination Center (CRCDC), is mobilizing to raise awareness among the population of the importance of screening regular and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV).
Each year in France, more than 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and nearly 1,100 die from it. However, 90% of these cancers could be prevented thanks to two complementary measures: regular screening of women aged 25 to 65, essential for detecting precancerous or cancerous lesions at an early stage, and vaccination against HPV from the age of 11 ( human papillomavirus), an effective preventive tool to protect against the virus responsible for the majority of cases. In the Occitanie region, participation in campaigns remains insufficient, both for screening (61.8%) and for vaccination (43.8% of girls and 15.2% of 16-year-old boys).
A simple and free screening program
Since 2019, the national screening program targeting women aged 25 to 65 has been 100% covered by Health Insurance, without upfront costs. In Occitania, nearly 60,000 invitations and reminders were sent between January and September 2024, inviting women to consult a general practitioner, a gynecologist or a midwife to carry out screening, or to go to an examination center health.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eradicate this cancer, France remains below expectations in terms of screening: between 2020 and 2022, only 59.5% of women were screened, a rate below the threshold set at 70% at European level. In Occitanie, 30% of the women concerned do not regularly carry out this test.
HPV vaccination
Recommended for girls and boys aged 11 to 14, with catch-up possible up to age 19, HPV vaccination is a major preventive measure, but does not replace screening. Since 2023, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and certain health centers can administer vaccines in the vaccination schedule, thus simplifying access to this prevention.
-However, vaccination coverage remains low. In 2023, only 43.8% of girls and 15.2% of boys aged 16 in Occitania had a complete vaccination schedule, far from the national objective of 70%.
Since the start of the 2023 school year, a school vaccination campaign has been set up, targeting 5th grade students, with the aim of vaccinating at least 30% of them. From the start of the school year, each student received a kit intended for their parents, including explanatory documents on the campaign and a parental authorization form. Vaccination in this context is completely free, the cost being fully covered. In Occitania, the first results are encouraging, with an initial membership rate of 10%.
Actions to mobilize and raise awareness about cervical cancer
Throughout the year, Health Insurance, ARS Occitanie and their partners are committed to promoting and facilitating access to care. In Tarn, Women’s Health Days are days of action organized to raise women’s awareness of the importance of screening for the three main cancers and to support them in their efforts. These local prevention days aim to encourage screening and vaccination, by offering on-site the possibility of taking a smear, a mammogram and obtaining a colorectal cancer screening kit. The objective is to reduce obstacles to access to screening by getting closer to the populations most concerned.
Dates and locations of the next days in the Tarn department:
