Enhancing Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Women Living With HIV in Kenya, the ENHANCE LINKAge Trial

May 28, 2026 updated by: Michael H Chung, Emory University

Enhancing Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Women Living With HIV in Kenya (ENHANCE LINKAGE)

Background In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), human papillomavirus (HPV) and HIV create a dual burden of disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in the form of cervical cancer (CC). Women living with HIV (WLWH) have a six-fold higher risk of developing precancerous lesions that persist and progress to CC, which is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women in Kenya. Significant support from the Go Further campaign, represented by donors such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the George W. Bush Institute, UNAIDS, Merck, and Roche, to integrate CC screening into HIV clinics represents an exceptional opportunity to scale CC impact across SSA, but only if implementation science evidence is available to inform strategy. Currently, the impact of Go Further has been undermined by fractured linkages to care and insensitive screening methods; in Kenya, less than 2% of WLWH screened have received appropriate treatment. Implementation science studies are needed to better understand and surmount barriers to integrated care in publicly funded HIV clinics.

Broad objective This study seeks to explore and innovate strategies to overcome patient-, provider-, and system-level barriers to implementing CC screening and referral guidelines, link WLWH who require further diagnostic testing and/or treatment with effective and accessible care, and document services for accountability and quality improvement. In this proposal, our team will apply our extensive implementation science expertise and partnerships with Kenya Ministry of Health (MOH) to adapt and test evidence-based strategies (e.g., HPV self-testing, care navigators, and the WEMA mHealth app [tested and scaled in Tanzania]) that address key multi-level barriers identified through a formative, stakeholder-engaged research phase.

Methodology Using the EPIS framework to guide our project, we will: Aim 1a), Explore (engage a multi-disciplinary stakeholder advisory board to co-design the intervention package and prioritize implementation strategies that align with local capacity, opportunities, and motivations; Aim 1b), Prepare (develop tools and strengthen capacity at clinics to implement the strategies; Aim 2), Implement and evaluate the package of implementation strategies via a cluster-randomized stepped wedge trial in 9 clinics (assessing implementation [provision of CC screening with HPV self-testing] and effectiveness [proportion of HPVpositive WLWH who receive subsequent diagnostic triage and/or treatment] over months 0-12; and Aim 3), assess Sustainability (costs, cost-effectiveness, and transfer of delivery from study to local staff over months 13-18.

Significance of the study The overall goal of this study is to employ rigorous empirical methods to adapt and test implementation strategies that expand the scope of HIV care to screen for and treat early precancerous CC lesions in a sustainable, scalable way. Through partnering with Kenya's MOH, this project will have critical institutional support and dissemination capability, and will directly inform public health practice and policy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Broad Objectives This study seeks to inform the effective and sustainable integration of early detection and successful treatment of precancerous cervical lesions among women living with HIV (WLWH) ages 25-49 years in HIV care clinics for women in Kenya.

Specific Objectives I. Identify and address barriers to integration and uptake of cervical cancer screening and treatment linkage in HIV care settings in Kenya.

II. Evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of ENHANCE LINKage (HPV self-testing, care navigators, and mHealth that supports screening and treatment linkage) in a hybrid type 2 study, a cluster randomized trial in 20 HIV care clinics.

III. Evaluate sustainability and economic impacts of ENHANCE LINKage.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
2280

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Amandine Zoonekyndt-Ballart
  • Phone Number: 404-727-1210
  • Email: aballa3@emory.edu

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Mohammed K Ali, MD, MSc, MBA
  • Phone Number: 404-727-9776
  • Email: mkali@emory.edu

Study Locations

  • Kenya
      • Nairobi, Kenya
        • Kenya Medical Research Institute
        • Contact:
          • Nelly Rwamba Mugo
          • Phone Number: 254 20 2720030
          • Email: rwamba@uw.edu
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nelly Rwamba Mugo

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • AIM 1 (PATIENTS): Aged 25-49 years
  • AIM 1 (PATIENTS): Female
  • AIM 1 (PATIENTS): Willing to participate in a 90-minute audio-recorded focus group discussion (FGD) and
  • AIM 1 (PATIENTS): Speak English or Swahili
  • AIM 1 (NURSES, CLINICAL STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS): Aged 18 years or older
  • AIM 1 (NURSES, CLINICAL STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS): Involved in implementing intervention components
  • AIM 1 (STAKEHOLDERS): Adults (aged >= 18 years) who are healthcare system users, support persons, healthcare providers and administrators, representatives of the government, professional associations, and non-governmental and faith-based organizations
  • AIMS 2 AND 3 (CLINIC PROVIDERS): Aged 18 years and older involved in CC screening, triage, and treatment
  • AIMS 2 AND 3 (WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV): Ages 25-49 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • AIM 1: Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) members who are not engaged in CC work, individuals who have recently retired from the selected clinics, and patients who are attending the clinic for the first time will be excluded from the study
  • AIMS 2 AND 3 (WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV): Pregnant women, women =< 6 weeks postpartum, and women already confirmed to have cervical cancer will be excluded

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Aim 2, Arm I (ENHANCE LINKAge)
Patients receive HPV self-testing kit and instruction on how to perform HPV self-testing on study. Patients undergo vaginal self-swab and receive results by text message. Patients also receive mobile text message reminders for triage or treatment for women that test positive with HPV.
Other: Health Promotion and Education
Receive instructions on how to use HPV self-testing kit
Procedure: HPV Self-Collection
Undergo HPV self-collection
Other Names:
  • At-home HPV Self Collection
  • HPV Self Collection
  • Human Papillomavirus Self-Collection
Other: Text Message-Based Navigation Intervention
Receive text messages for HPV testing results and triage and treatment reminders
Other Names:
  • Automated Text Message-Based Navigation
  • Text Message-Based Navigation
Active Comparator: Aim 2 (standard care)
Patients undergo standard of care at clinics that have VIA testing
Other: Best Practice
Receive standard care
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
IMPLEMENTATION OUTCOME: Difference in proportions in cervical cancer (CC) screening uptake between the intervention implementation versus control clinics
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
Modified mixed effects Poisson models will be used to estimate prevalence ratios, including the effect of clinic-level intervention (no intervention versus intervention) with fixed effects for intervention exposure status, and a random effect for clinic. Imbalanced baseline demographic and clinical characteristics across clinics will be included as independent variables in an adjusted model. Statistical differences between intervention versus control clinics during each observation period in terms of indicators will be tested using X^2 tests while mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) will be tested using t-tests.
1 to 12 months
EFFECTIVENESS OUTCOME: Difference in the proportion of patients that received follow-up triage (with VIA) or treatment in the implementation intervention versus control clinics
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
Modified mixed effects Poisson models will be used to estimate prevalence ratios, including the effect of clinic-level intervention (no intervention versus intervention) with fixed effects for intervention exposure status, and a random effect for clinic. Imbalanced baseline demographic and clinical characteristics across clinics will be included as independent variables in an adjusted model. Statistical differences between intervention versus control clinics during each observation period in terms of indicators will be tested using X^2 tests while mean differences and 95% CI will be tested using t-tests.
1 to 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Communication of human papillomavirus (HPV) test result to patients via mobile (m)Health messages
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
Based on confirmation of HPV test results being sent to the participant's phone via two-way text message or mHealth application.
1 to 12 months
Receipt of HPV-negative result and guidance for next CC screening
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
Based on participants responding with a text to indicate that they have received their HPV results.
1 to 12 months
Retention in HIV Care (>=2 visits per year)
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
Between-arm comparison
1 to 12 months
HIV viral suppression (undetectable)
Time Frame: 1 to 12 months
between-arm comparison
1 to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Emory University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Michael Chung, MD, PhD, Emory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 31, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 25, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 25, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 27, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00008289 (Other Identifier: Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute)
  • P30CA138292 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • NCI-2024-08623 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))
  • EU6378-24 (Other Identifier: Emory University Hospital/Winship Cancer Institute)
  • U01CA275120-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Depends on regulations in Kenya regarding IPD

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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