Health education is a major step in the fight against preventable diseases such as cervical cancer. Information on new HPV vaccines and new screening options must be scientifically accurate and technically impartial. The introduction of a new prevention technology worldwide means that thousands of health professionals and managers need to understand its significance and use, and they in turn must be able to transmit this information appropriately to millions of families living in environments with completely different languages, cultures and beliefs. Hence, the information must be accurate, informative, and disseminated honestly.

Distance learning has greatly influenced the level of education of less developed countries

In recent years, distance learning has made great strides and has become an increasingly important part of the global mandate of the Education for All movement led by UNESCO (1). Distance learning has been all the rage in western countries and is becoming increasingly essential in less developed countries (2). Wider spread of internet based technologies has provided unique possibilities for training without barriers of distance, time and space. They also facilitate widespread access to and consultation with the best specialists from around the world. It has been shown that distance learning has greatly influenced the level of education of less developed countries (3).

The Cancer Epidemiology Research Programme at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has been developing an extensive training and information Programme on HPV and associated diseases (4) for over 10 years. This programme aims to provide basic knowledge or to expand the understanding of concepts in clinical practice, epidemiology, prevention and public health of human papillomavirus (HPV) and related diseases for a broad spectrum of health professionals. The main components of ICO’s learning Programme are:

The ICO/IARC Information Centre collects information on HPV, associated diseases and preventive options

The Cancer Epidemiology Research Programme at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has been developing an extensive training and information Programme on HPV and associated diseases (4) for over 10 years. This programme aims to provide basic knowledge or to expand the understanding of concepts in clinical practice, epidemiology, prevention and public health of human papillomavirus (HPV) and related diseases for a broad spectrum of health professionals. The main components of ICO’s learning Programme are:

1. The ICO/IARC Information Centre on HPV and cancer(http://www.hpvcentre.net/). This initiative was launched in 2004 by ICO in cooperation with World Health Organization (WHO). At present, ICO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have joined forces to maintain an interactive web-based platform with the aim of accelerating the development and introduction of HPV prevention strategies worldwide. For this purpose, the Centre collects, edits and spreads scientific information on the HPV virus and associated diseases worldwide through the website, which can be accessed completely free of charge.

2. ICO’s International Monographs Programme on HPV and the prevention of associated diseases(http://www.hpvcentre.net/ scientificreviews.php)Several international scientific reviews and regional reports have been published in scientific papers on HPV disease and prevention authored by leading experts in the field. The first monograph in the series was published in 2006, followed by 10 regional reports and the last update in the general report in 2012. Individual peer-reviewed articles cover issues related to natural history and biology, HPV therapies, current screening strategies for cervical cancer including new technologies and prospects, prophylactic HPV vaccines and their introduction, economic analyses and gaps in knowledge. The scientific content of the monographs has provided the basis for developing the e-learning course on cervical cancer prevention.

3. E-learning on the prevention of cervical cancer (http://www.e-oncologia.org/en).This online training course, translated into 10 languages, has been designed for health professionals involved in cervical cancer prevention, public health professionals, health planners, health programme managers, researchers and educators and is also suitable for specialised nurses and midwives (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The course has been developed jointly with the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

There are two modes of access to the course: (i) classrooms that are permanently open with free access to any participant, and (ii) closed or premium classes for specific groups of students with similar interests selected by the tutor.

Students spend approximately 18 hours for four weeks participating in the course and completing all assignments. To date, over 15,000 students from 50 countries have participated and 85% have completed the course. At the end of the course, students are evaluated and answer a questionnaire to assess their degree of satisfaction. Eighty-five percent (85%) of participants rated the course as good or excellent (Figure 3). Succesful students receive an ICO/FIGO diploma granted with 15 CME european credits and 1 AMA PRA credit.

In conclusion, as shown in the “e-oncología” programme on the prevention of cervical cancer, e-learning has demonstrated its utility in continuing education for health professionals regardless of their place of work or residence.

Figure 1. Distribution of students of the e-learning course on prevention of cervical cancer by continent

Figure 2. Screenshots of the e-learning course on cervical cancer prevention

Figure 3. Overall results of the satisfaction survey for the e-learning course on prevention of cervical cancer

Figure 4. The ICO/FIGO e-learning course on HPV and Cancer prevention. Table of contents

References
1. UNESCO. Education for All | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/ leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/
2. Frehywot, S, et al. 2013. E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries. Hum Resour Health, 11:4.
3. ITU-UNESCO. 2017. The State of Broadband.
4. Company, A., et al. 2015. Training in the prevention of cervical cancer: advantages of e-learning. Ecancermedicalscience, 9:580