On 19 May 2026, the RIVER-EU project (Reducing Inequalities in Vaccine uptake in the European Region – Engaging Underserved communities) will host its final conference in Brussels and online, organised by EuroHealthNet in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
After five years of collaboration across Europe, this event will bring together communities, practitioners, researchers, civil society, and policymakers to reflect on key project results and explore how successful approaches to reducing vaccination inequalities can be sustained beyond the project’s lifetime.
About RIVER-EU
Vaccination remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient public health interventions available. However, inequalities in vaccine uptake persist across Europe, particularly among underserved communities facing structural barriers related to access, trust, continuity of care and institutional responsiveness.
The RIVER-EU project (Reducing Inequalities in Vaccine uptake in the European Region – Engaging Underserved communities) has worked with five different underserved communities across European countries to better understand these barriers and implement tailored approaches to improve access to MMR and HPV vaccination:
- In Slovakia with marginalised Roma communities
- In Greece with migrant and refugees
- In the Netherlands with Turkish and Moroccan background communities
- In Poland with Ukrainian migrants and refugees
and draws on additional learning from empowering examples in other contexts:
- The Somali community in Finland
- The Bangladeshi community in London
- The Arab community in Israel
This final conference marks an important milestone to share the project’s results and discuss how they can inform future policies, programmes and practices supporting vaccine equity across Europe.
What to expect
At the conference, participants will:
- Discover the RIVER-EU Guideline and Action Framework, a new practical resource to support policymakers and practitioners in reducing vaccination inequalities
- Learn from implementation experiences across Europe on improving access to MMR and HPV vaccination for various underserved communities
- Hear directly from community members and frontline practitioners
- Explore highlights from national satellite events that helped “close the research loop” with communities
- Discuss how RIVER-EU results can inform future policy and practice at EU and national levels
Participants attending in person will receive additional information from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) regarding building access ahead of the event.
For any additional information about this event, please contact EuroHealthNet’s Policy & Practice Officer, Afsaneh Nejat.
Registration is free but required. Please register before 10 May.