1. What data in particular will be shared?
   Response - Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this article, after de-identification (text, tables, figures, and appendices).
   


2. What additional supporting information will be shared?
   Response -  Study Protocol
   Response - Informed Consent Form
   
   
3. Who will be able to view these files?
   Response - Researchers whose proposed use of the data has been approved by an independent review committee identified for this purpose.
   


4. For what types of analyses will this data be available?
   Response - To achieve aims in the approved proposal.
   


5. By what mechanism will data be made available?
   Response - Proposals should be directed to [anuoommen@cmcvellore.ac.in].
   


6. For how long will this data be available start date provided 01-02-2027 and end date provided 31-01-2037?
   Response - Immediately following publication. No end date.
   


7. Any URL or additional information regarding plan/policy for sharing IPD? 
   Additional Information - NIL

In the context of WHO’s call for the elimination of cervical cancer as a major global health challenge, policy makers are faced with an urgent need for evidence on how to effectively implement cervical screening to achieve population level coverage.

While India’s current policy of Visual Inspection of the cervix with Acetic acid (VIA) is largely based on affordability, it has suboptimal effectiveness and has never been demonstrated to be scalable to a country level or sustainable, due to the critical need for quality assurance and ongoing training. While researchers in India have advanced recent global evidence regarding a more effective and scalable approach to cervical screening, implementation has not yet occurred at scale.

We will co-design scalable HPV based cervical screening approaches with stakeholders and others, following an initial assessment of current implementation status of screening, women’s experiences,  health providers’ and community perspectives in vulnerable communities (e.g. tribal, rural and urban poor). We will evaluate its implementation through a cluster randomised screening program trial in rural, urban poor and tribal populations in Tamil Nadu and Mizoram, that have different vulnerable populations, disease profiles and health care settings. As demonstrated recently in other low-middle income countries, we aim to demonstrate that a strategy including HPV-based screening is likely to be the most effective, practical, affordable and acceptable method for wide scale adoption by women living in some of the most underserved areas of India.