Eliminating Cervical Cancer Conference 2025
On Monday, 17th November 2025 (12:00 – 3:00pm AEDT), we presented the Eliminating Cervical Cancer Conference (ECC2025), hosted by the NHMRC Centre for Excellence in Cervical Cancer Control (C4) and co-ordinated by the C4 Chief and Associate Investigators.
As announced by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, 17th November 2025 was the inaugural World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
On this important day, ECC2025 brought together leading experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals to discuss and advance the mission of eliminating cervical cancer. The opening and closing co-Chairs were Prof Marion Saville AM and Prof Karen Canfell AC.
The theme for ECC2025 was Working towards Elimination: Success, Innovation and Challenges in Implementation. This conference featured:
- Panel Discussions: Engage with thought leaders as they explore the successes, innovations, and challenges in implementing cervical cancer elimination strategies across the region.
- Showcase of C4 Funded Research: highlighting equity-focused initiatives, meaningful consumer and community engagement, and innovative data systems that enable targeted, impactful approaches—demonstrating the transformative outcomes of C4-funded projects in action.
This event was free of charge for all delegates, providing an invaluable opportunity to network, learn, and contribute to the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer. It was relevant to delegates in this field throughout Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.
Conference Co-Chairs
Professor Marion Saville AM
Professor Karen Canfell AC
Session Chairs
Gladymar Pérez Chacón
Alvin Lee
Director - Population Health
Dr Dorothy Machalek
Tessa Saunders
Speakers
Lucy Boyd
Professor Julia Brotherton
Dr. Allie Carter
Dr. Michael Caruana
Professor Bev Lawton ONZM
Dr Paulus Ripa
Professor Claire Vajdic
Associate Professor Lisa Whop
Dr Lauren Winkler
Dr Alexandra Young
Program
All sessions will be held via Zoom
Monday 17th November 2025
12:00 – 12:20 Welcome & opening address
Including an opening address by the Hon Mark Butler MP
12:20-1:40 Session 1 – Progress Towards the Pillars: Where are we, and how to we get to where we need to be?
Chair: Dr. Dorothy Machalek and Alvin Lee
Q1. As we consider national progress towards the targets, how are settings considering and acting to improve equity?
Prof. Bev Lawton ONZM
Q2. How have workforce innovations/expansions/revisions supported successful scale up?
Dr Paulus Ripa
Q3. How can the existing data ecosystem work together to support elimination?
Dr. Michael Caruana
Demonstration of the INCLUDE dashboard
Prof. Claire Vajdic
Panel discussion
All speakers, with the addition of A/Prof. Lisa Whop
1:40-1:50 Break
1:50-2:50 Session 2 – Showcase of C4 funded work
Chair: Dr. Tessa Saunders and Gladymar Perez Chacon
Speaker 1. Co-design of a complex person-centred intervention to support greater inclusion of adolescents with disability in Australia’s national HPV vaccination program
Allie Carter and Lexie Young
Speaker 2. What do 20-25 year olds know and think about HPV vaccine? Findings from Phase 1 of the THRIVE-25 study
Professor Julia Brotherton
Speaker 3. Are there hidden barriers to the National Cervical Screening Program in Australia? Results from a ‘secret shopper’ study of general practices
Lucy Boyd
Speaker 4. The role of self-collection in achieving progress towards cervical cancer elimination for people with intellectual disability
Dr Lauren Winkler
Questions and discussion
2:50-3:00 Closing remarks
