Public and Patient Engagement to Inform Action Plan for Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada

Background

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global call for action to eliminate cervical cancer. The elimination language gives cervical cancer a similar international focus as smallpox or polio and will require efforts to optimize both prevention and screening. Over the last few decades, cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates have declined in many countries, including Canada. The improvements have been attributed, in part, to higher rates of cervical cancer screening and the implementation of population-level human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine strategies. However, gaps remain in uptake and coverage of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening across Canada. In October 2018, the Partnership signed on to the Union for International Cancer Control’s (UICC) call to action to eliminate cervical cancer.

Action Plan to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Canada

In May 2019, the Partnership engaged a vendor to develop a pan-Canadian Action Plan to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Canada (referred to herein as “Action Plan”) to guide implementation of system change across Canada and achieve goals related to preventing cervical cancer and improving access to quality cervical cancer screening and treatment. The Action Plan will set out components of an evidence-based and comprehensive model for system change in Canada to guide changes needed across various areas of cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment, while allowing for flexibility in meeting individual jurisdictions where they are at with their implementation efforts. The Action Plan will complement and enhance current national and provincial/territorial and regional/municipal efforts on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. The voice of patients, survivors, caregivers and citizens is key to ground the Action Plan in the values, experiences, and expectations of Canadians.

Guiding principles for the Action Plan:

• both prevention and screening are required to eliminate cervical cancer in Canada
• focus on equity-based approaches to reach underserved populations
• include First nations, Inuit and Métis self-determined priorities
• include public and patient voices
• implement sustainable system changes

The Action Plan will be launched at a pan-Canadian Summit planned for early February 2020 in Toronto.

Purpose/Objectives

The Partnership wishes to retain a vendor with wide expertise in public and patient engagement, to engage both public and patient voices in the development, validation, and communication/awareness in sharing of this Action Plan. The vendor will present a detailed workplan geared to surfacing the values, priorities, and expectations of public and patients involved in HPV vaccination, cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment that will be shared with the Partnership’s Action Plan Advisory Committee, Working Groups and writing team to help inform the creation of the Action Plan.

Correspondence

Proponents should reference this RFP number (RFP No. RP410-2019-02) in the subject line of their correspondence.

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