Peer-led program to increase cervical cancer screening in Uganda
Official title: A Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial of Game Changers for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Uganda
Funded at Rand Corporation · NIH-11398715 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program trains women who have been screened to encourage their friends and family in Uganda to get low-cost cervical cancer screening (VIA).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $162,822 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA282284-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398715 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are women in participating Ugandan communities who are eligible for cervical screening or women who have recently screened and can serve as peer leaders.
✕Less likely to help
Women who already receive regular cervical screening, live outside the participating areas, or cannot attend group sessions may not gain direct benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are a woman in Uganda, this program invites women who recently had cervical screening to join a seven-session peer group where they learn how to share accurate information, reduce stigma, and motivate others. These peer leaders then reach out to women in their social networks to encourage them to get visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), a low-cost screening available locally. A small pilot trial showed large increases in screening among people reached through these networks, and this larger trial will test whether the approach leads to more screenings and can be sustained over time. The study combines measuring how well it works with understanding how to put the program into regular health services so it can keep helping women long-term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help many more Ugandan women get early, low-cost screening and catch cervical disease before it becomes advanced.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot randomized trial of this peer-led approach showed dramatic increases in screening among people reached through screened women, so this larger trial builds on promising early results.
Where this research is happening
-
Rand Corporation
Santa Monica, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagner, Glenn John — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Wagner, Glenn John
Related research
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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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Hybrid approach to boost cervical cancer screening in Uganda
A tested, community-driven program helps Ugandan women encourage their peers to get free VIA cervical cancer screening.
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.