About SHIELD

The SHIELD Project – Strategies for Health Interventions to Eliminate Infection‑Related Cancers is a European Joint Action funded under the EU4Health Programme. It brings together a large multidisciplinary consortium of public health authorities, research institutions, clinical organisations and civil society partners from across Europe to address cancers caused by infectious diseases.

The overall aim of SHIELD is to reduce premature morbidity and mortality caused by infection‑related and vaccine‑preventable cancers. The project focuses in particular on cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). While effective prevention tools already exist for many of these infections, their impact remains uneven due to structural barriers, health system challenges, stigma, discrimination and unequal access to services across population groups and countries.

SHIELD takes a comprehensive prevention approach, addressing primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. This includes vaccination, screening, testing, early diagnosis, linkage to care and treatment, as well as interventions that tackle stigma and discrimination in healthcare and community settings. A strong emphasis is placed on vulnerable and underserved populations, including migrants, people living in prisons, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and other groups facing barriers to prevention and care.

The project also supports evidence‑based decision‑making by developing and applying single‑disease and multi‑disease modelling frameworks to assess the impact and cost‑effectiveness of different prevention strategies. These analyses help countries identify the optimal mix of interventions and guide sustainable investments in cancer prevention.

By fostering collaboration across countries, disease areas and sectors, SHIELD aims to strengthen national capacities, improve policy implementation and contribute to long‑term reductions in infection‑related cancers across Europe.

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Project Overview

SHIELD is a European Joint Action aiming to reduce premature morbidity and mortality from cancers caused by infections by strengthening prevention, vaccination, screening, and care strategies across countries and populations.

Advisory Board

The SHIELD Advisory Board provides strategic guidance, policy insight, and alignment with national and European priorities to ensure the project’s activities deliver sustainable and impactful results across Member Countries.

Synergy Projects

SHIELD is designed to build on and connect with existing European initiatives, rather than duplicating efforts. It actively creates synergies with previous and ongoing EU‑funded projects in cancer prevention, infectious disease control, and vaccination.

Partners

SHIELD is implemented by a consortium of 69 partner organisations from 25 European countries, representing public health authorities, research institutes, universities, and civil society organisations.