Improving cervical cancer screening and same-day treatment for women with HIV in Zimbabwe
Implementing HIV/Cervical Cancer Prevention CASCADE Clinical Trials in Zimbabwe (ZIM-CASCADE)
This program brings better HPV-based screening and point-of-care treatment to women living with HIV in Zimbabwe to catch precancer earlier and reduce deaths.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11101141 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I am a woman living with HIV in Zimbabwe, this program works with local clinics to expand HPV testing and make screening more widely available. It aims to offer point-of-care results and increase access to precancer treatments like cryotherapy or thermal ablation so more women get treated the same day. The project is run by UCSF and the University of Zimbabwe with local partners reaching tens of thousands of women already in care. Some parts will run clinical trial-style implementation studies to see which approaches are most acceptable and scalable in the local health system.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are women living with HIV who attend participating clinics in Zimbabwe and are due for cervical cancer screening or follow-up care.
Not a fit: People who do not live in the participating regions, men, or women without access to the partnering clinics are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to earlier detection and easier, same-day treatment of cervical precancer, lowering advanced cancer and deaths among women with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: HPV-based screening and thermal ablation have improved detection and treatment in other low-resource settings, though this combined CASCADE implementation in Zimbabwe is a newer, large-scale effort.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chirenje, Zvavahera Mike — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Chirenje, Zvavahera Mike
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 below.