On 22 January, at the City Council Hall of Palazzo dei Bruzi in Cosenza, the event “A Step Forward for Life: HPV Screening” took place. The initiative was dedicated to prevention and to the promotion of the right to health, with particular attention to migrant women and people in vulnerable conditions, for whom access to screening programmes is often more complex. These challenges were clearly identified during the first Living Lab of the European project EU PEACE at the University of Calabria, held on 3 April 2025, and directly inspired the development of this initiative.
Barriers to Preventive Healthcare
Language barriers, limited access to information, administrative obstacles and socio-economic vulnerabilities continue to hinder participation in preventive screening programmes, despite their crucial role in protecting health. These challenges were clearly identified during the first Living Lab of the European project EUPEACE at the University of Calabria, held on 3 April 2025, and directly inspired the development of this initiative.
Local Dialogue for More Inclusive Prevention Pathways
The event fostered dialogue among a wide range of stakeholders, encouraging a concrete discussion on inequalities in access to prevention and on the responses that can be jointly developed. Throughout the discussions, the importance of creating more accessible, inclusive and culturally sensitive prevention pathways clearly emerged, capable of reaching population groups that, for various reasons, often remain excluded from mainstream health services.
Contact
A significant contribution to the success of the screening campaign was ensured by the active involvement of the Migrants Office of the Archdiocese of Cosenza-Bisignano, the social services of Cosenza and Rende, the Volunteer Service Centre (CSV), third sector organisations, and migrant reception services (SAI) operating in the local area. These actors played a key role in promoting the initiative, facilitating the dissemination of information and providing practical support to women throughout the screening booking process, thereby helping to reduce access barriers and strengthen the inclusive nature of the action.
HPV Screening as a Tangible Outcome of EUPeace Collaboration
As highlighted by the Councillor for Health of the Municipality of Cosenza, Maria Teresa De Marco:
“The collaboration between the Health Department of the Municipality of Cosenza and the University of Calabria represents a fundamental strategic element. The integration between local institutions and the academic world makes it possible to combine scientific expertise, research capacity and direct knowledge of territorial needs, fostering more effective, innovative and evidence-based health policies. This synergy strengthens the ability to respond to current health challenges, promotes a shared culture of health and contributes to the sustainable and inclusive development of the city of Cosenza.”
In this context, the provision of free HPV screenings represented the concrete outcome of a networked effort built through the social dialogue promoted by EUPEACE, capable of transforming dialogue among diverse stakeholders into an accessible and inclusive action for the local community. The event was also designated as a Joint Activity, a collaborative action aimed at strengthening dialogue between local institutions and the University of Calabria, further reinforcing the role of universities as active partners in addressing societal challenges at local level.
