Bringing HPV self-testing into HIV clinics in Ethiopia with Project ECHO support
Official title: Leveraging Project ECHO for improved cervical cancer screening in Ethiopia: An implementation study of integrated HPV selfsampling in HIV care centers
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-11407741 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers HPV self-sampling to women living with HIV during routine HIV care in Ethiopia while training clinic staff through Project ECHO to improve follow-up.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $121,300 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA294799-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407741 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women living with HIV who receive care at participating antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics in Ethiopia are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
Women not attending the participating clinics, women without HIV, or those unwilling to do self-sampling may not receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you are a woman living with HIV who goes to an ART clinic in Ethiopia, this project would offer you an HPV self-sampling kit during your regular visit and help link positive results to follow-up care. Clinic teams will get remote mentoring and standardized guidance through Project ECHO so screening, triage with VIA, and treatment steps are more consistent. The researchers will use clinic records, surveys, and interviews to learn how well self-sampling can be integrated into HIV care and where problems happen. The overall approach is to use existing HIV care visits to make cervical cancer screening easier and more reliable for women like you.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could increase early detection and treatment of cervical pre-cancer among women with HIV by making screening more accessible and better linked to care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show HPV self-sampling often increases screening uptake and Project ECHO can improve provider practice, though integrating both within Ethiopian HIV clinics is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lott, Breanne — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Lott, Breanne
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
mSaada: a mobile tool to boost cervical cancer screening in western Kenya
A mobile app helps community health volunteers manage cervical cancer screening tasks and follow-up for women in low-resource areas.
-
HPV self-collection in HIV care to screen for cervical cancer in Ethiopia
A patient-centered program tests a simple HPV self-collection approach within HIV clinics in Ethiopia to help detect cervical cancer earlier.
-
HOPE-inG: Increasing cervical cancer screening for women with HIV in Ghana
A study tests a home-based HPV self-sampling approach plus a tailored communication plan to help women living with HIV in Ghana get screened more often for cervical cancer.
-
CODA-based cervical cancer screening for LMICs using CRISPR and fluorescence
A low-resource, rapid test called CODA uses CRISPR and light signals to detect cervical cancer markers in women in sub-Saharan Africa to improve screening.
-
CODA-based cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings
A new, quick, low-cost test using CRISPR and fluorescence readouts to help screen for cervical cancer in women in sub-Saharan Africa.
-
CATSystem: a digital tool to boost cervical cancer screening and follow-up in Kenya
A digital tracking system helps doctors and patients in Kenya improve cervical cancer screening, treatment referrals, and follow-up, especially for women living with HIV.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.