Logistically and financially supported by the ASU-GHI, the project is part of the Institute’s “Health & Environment” research axis, coordinated by Jean-Baptiste Fini (member of the ASU-GHI Executive Committee and professor at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle), in collaboration with the three faculties of Sorbonne University (Science and Engineering, Arts and Humanities, and Health Sciences) and the SSE.

A Project Structured Around Three Complementary Components

The IMPACT-HPV project is based on an integrated approach structured around three complementary components:

1. An observational study

Led by the OBEPINE network under the supervision of Professor Vincent Maréchal (ASU-GHI member) and PhD candidate Pauline Michon, this study has its own dedicated funding. It aims to document the epidemiological dynamics of HPV and to advance scientific knowledge on its circulation and impact.

Research conducted within this framework has notably highlighted the presence of pathogens in wastewater and enabled the development of innovative population-based epidemiological tools, providing a strong scientific foundation for the IMPACT-HPV project.

2. A vaccination campaign

Led by the Students Health Department (SSE) of Sorbonne University under the direction of Dr. Françoise Guillo, also Deputy Director of ASU-GHI, this campaign is primarily funded through internal resources (80–90% from the SSE).

Its objective is to increase HPV vaccination coverage within the university community and contribute to national public health targets. This component directly addresses the insufficient vaccination coverage observed among students and constitutes the operational core of the project in terms of immediate health impact.

3. A sociological and behavioral study

Under the direction of Professor Michel Dubois (member of the ASU-GHI Executive Committee) and Professor Catherine Guaspare-Cartron, this component focuses on analyzing the social, cultural, and behavioral determinants of vaccination.

Conducted in collaboration with GEMASS (led by Michel Dubois), the study specifically aims to better understand the drivers of vaccine hesitancy in order to inform and adapt communication, prevention, and intervention strategies.

A Shared Public Health Ambition

The project contributes to several major strategic objectives:

• Increasing HPV vaccination coverage towards a target of 80% by 2030, in line with national and international public health priorities
• Reducing the incidence of HPV-related cancers, in connection with the ASU-GHI “Cancer” axis coordinated by Joseph Gligorov
• Strengthening high-impact participatory research, consistent with the Institute’s mission in global health

More broadly, the project seeks to translate epidemiological evidence on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HPV in particular, into concrete opportunities to improve the health of young adults, through a transdisciplinary approach combining life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences.

These objectives are aligned with the World Health Organization’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, as well as with sectoral strategies on sexually transmitted infections for the 2022–2030 period.

An In Situ and Collaborative Research Project

The HPV project also represents an innovative “in situ” research initiative, with significant short- and medium-term impact on the health of the university community. It emerged from the convergence of several complementary observations and areas of expertise:

• Scientific advances from the OBEPINE network in wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance
• The identification by the SSE of low vaccination coverage among students
• The need to analyze the social determinants of vaccine hesitancy, addressed by GEMASS research teams

The project relies on close collaboration between multiple institutional and public health stakeholders, including:

• INSERM
• Agences Régionales de Santé (ARS)
• Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM)
• Communautés Professionnelles Territoriales de Santé (CPTS)
• Sorbonne University (SSE, ASU-GHI, Faculty of Health Sciences, SMIT)

Research Impact and Policy-Relevant Expertise

Beyond its scientific and health objectives, the IMPACT-HPV project aims to generate actionable expertise in prevention, health education, and institutional communication. It seeks to contribute to the evolution of public health policies through an evidence-based and engaged research approach.