mSaada mobile app to help cervical cancer screening in western Kenya
Official title: mSaada: A Mobile Health Tool to Improve Cervical Cancer Screening in western Kenya
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11400609 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone app will help community health workers track HPV test samples, guide counseling, and remind women in western Kenya to complete cervical cancer screening and follow-up.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $59,782 |
| NIH project number | 3R33CA274665-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400609 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women in western Kenya who are due for cervical cancer screening, who can be reached by local community health volunteers, or who have a positive HPV result and need follow-up are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Women living outside the project area, those without any access to a phone or local CHV services, or those already fully screened and treated are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be connected to community health volunteers using an app that records your contact information, tracks your HPV specimen and lab result, and prompts follow-up actions. Local developers and health stakeholders will refine the app so it fits clinic workflows and the needs of women in the community. The project will pilot the app with community health volunteers and clinic sites to test patient and specimen tracking, counseling prompts, and follow-up reminders. Feedback from users and patients will shape improvements before wider use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could help more women get screened and complete timely follow-up, lowering the chance of untreated cervical disease.
How similar studies have gone: Other mobile health programs have improved screening uptake and follow-up in low-resource settings, but this specific integrated patient-and-specimen tracking app is a newer approach being piloted.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huchko, Megan J. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Huchko, Megan J.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.