Key Points

• The standardized participation rate of the target population in the PNDOCS is estimated at 44.0% in 2024. It was 44.8% in 20221 (48.6% in 2023). It is estimated at 46.3% for the 2023–2024 period, compared to 46.7% for the 2022–2023 period. Participation in this program continues to decline in 2024.

• The downward trend in participation is observed across all age groups.

• When comparing 2024 to 2022, the trends observed vary from region to region:

  • a significant decline (of 3 to 5 percentage points) in Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Centre-Val de Loire, and Réunion,

  • a moderate decline (1 to 2 percentage points) in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire,

  • stability in Occitanie, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Brittany, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Martinique,

  • a significant increase (4 to 5 points) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Corsica,

  • data collected in French Guiana and Guadeloupe are difficult to interpret.

• Since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions have been observed in the mailing of invitations and in participation. Starting January 1, 2024, invitations will be sent by the Health Insurance Agency. For this year, data on the number of women invited are not yet available, as the Health Insurance Agency is currently unable to provide them.

• Participation in this program remains insufficient and below European recommendations (70% of the target population). A portion of the women in the target population, estimated at approximately 10%, undergoes screening outside the program. While a shift from organized screening to out-of-program screening cannot be ruled out, the available data do not allow for a reliable estimate of this shift. An analysis of the participation rate based on an estimate of the eligible population and those excluded from invitations could also supplement the program evaluation during the next update.