On November 11th, 2024, RIVER-EU held its annual General Assembly. Project partners gathered in the beautiful city of Lisbon, in advance of the European Public Health Conference, to discuss progress and challenges to date, and strategies for moving forward. The meeting was opened by Prof. Michael Edelstein from Bar Ilan University (BIU), Deputy Project Leader. He applauded the consortium for its continued efforts and outlined the progress made in implementing initiatives, which will continue through December 2025.
Key updates from implementation sites
Each implementation site— Slovakia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Greece—presented their progress and shared insights into the barriers and facilitators in implementation. They also highlighted preliminary results on knowledge and vaccination uptake before and after educational sessions. Examples of materials being utilised in educational sessions were presented as well, such as multilingual leaflets, banners, and interactive tools for children, which showcase creative and context-sensitive approaches. A common theme across all implementation sites was the importance of building and maintaining trust and balancing the needs of diverse stakeholders in the implementation process.
Slovakia
Daniela Fiľakovská from the Pavol Jozef Safarik University (UPJŠ) noted that the presence of Roma Health Mediators has been instrumental in facilitating engagement with marginalised Roma communities, despite logistical challenges such as limited access to basic equipment (e.g., projectors) in some settings.She emphasised two significant challenges: 1) the lasting influence of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, which continue to overshadow conversations about vaccination more generally and 2) sensitivities around discussions about sexual health and associated “taboos”. Nonetheless, Slovakia’s Roma Health Mediators are working to address these challenges with tailored, community-centered approaches.
Learn more about the selected interventions to improve vaccine uptake in Slovakia.
The Netherlands
Janine de Zeeuw from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) presented insights into their work with people with Moroccan and Turkish backgrounds in the Netherlands. She focused on the importance of tailoring approaches to the specific needs of Moroccan and Turkish communities, particularly when addressing topics like sexual health. Differences in cultural norms even within these groups and related sensitivities highlighted the need for diverse strategies, as “one size does not fit all”. Losing a health promoter from one of the communities, who had promised to be part of the project, further demonstrated the delicate nature of building and maintaining trust within these networks.
Learn more about the selected interventions to improve vaccine uptake in the Netherlands.
Poland
Prof. Maria Ganczak from the University of Zielona Gora (UZG), discussed a case where a diagnosis of viral meningitis coincided with HPV vaccination and was mistakenly conflated with an ‘adverse event caused by vaccine’. Investigators confirmed that there was no causal link between the meningitis and the vaccination. However, this misinformation and resulting fear led to a significant decline in community participation. To address this, the team transitioned from group educational sessions to individual consultations with general practitioners, leveraging the trusted relationship between general practitioners and their communities to rebuild confidence.
Learn more about the selected interventions to improve vaccine uptake in Poland.
Greece
Nikole Papaevgeniou from the Prolepsis Institute, shared challenges with engaging parents, often due to time constraints and their understandable confusion about the initiative’s purpose. Many parents questioned why their general practitioner or pediatrician was not addressing these topics, which led to hesitancy in participating in educational sessions. To overcome these barriers, the team implemented targeted communication strategies to clarify the initiative’s aims and build trust. Additionally, diverse materials were created to enhance knowledge and learning in the community, including interactive tools such as word searches and origami activities. These efforts proved to be effective in capturing the interest of younger audiences. As a result of this adaptation, the educational sessions with students became more engaging and participatory.
Learn more about the selected interventions to improve vaccine uptake in Greece.
Project progress and synergies
A major focus of the General Assembly was the synergies between Work Package 5, led by UK Health Security Agency, and Work Package 6, led by Vaccine Safety Initiative. These work packages represent two of the project’s most significant key exploitable results and aim to maximise the impact and long-term sustainability of RIVER-EU’s outcomes.
The guidelines, developed under Work Package 5 and in close collaboration with country partners, will serve as a practical tool for policymakers and public health professionals. They will provide insights into effective implementation practices and address potential challenges in transferring practices from one context to another. By acknowledging existing resources and avoiding redundancy, this comprehensive approach supports stakeholders in replicating successful strategies and overcoming systemic barriers to vaccination uptake.
Work Package 6 will also collaborate with country partners to curate and extract educational materials that can be incorporated into the SEKI Platform. Envisioned as a one-stop vaccination resource for European health and care professionals, this platform ensures that the knowledge and tools generated through RIVER-EU contribute to lasting improvements in immunisation practices across diverse settings.
Future planning and exploitation strategy
The assembly also featured a brainstorming session on the “exploitation plan”, a key deliverable of Work Package 7 led by EuroHealthNet. Partners tried to map out how current and future stakeholders—such as community leaders, healthcare providers, and policy makers—will benefit from project outcomes. Strategies to ensure these results reach the intended beneficiaries were also explored to ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of the project.
Lastly, a brainstorming session was conducted by the project coordinators to envision the future of RIVER-EU and its consortium.
The General Assembly highlighted the importance of synergy between work packages, adaptability in implementation, and proactive responses to community needs. By tailoring approaches and leveraging lessons learned, RIVER-EU is creating sustainable solutions to improve vaccine equity across Europe.
