Cambodia project funded by KfW (Dec 2021)
Site exploration visit to Cambodia (5-15 March 2022)
In December 2021 the University Hospital Heidelberg entered a research cooperation with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, Frankfurt, entitled Effectiveness analysis and economic evaluation of a modified program for cervical cancer screening in Cambodia assisted by a cloud-based digital system as a German contribution to the Cambodia Health Equity and Quality Improvement Program (H-EQIP) co-financed by the KFW.
A first site exploration visit took place amidst the CoVID -19 pandemic between 5-15 March 2022 led by our partners (Dr Hero Kol, Dr Sathiarany Vong) at the Department of Preventive Medicine (DPM), Ministry of Health, Cambodia.
During the visit we met with key government and regional stakeholders and visited the two proposed study hospitals, Siem Reap Provincial Hospital and Soth Nikum District Hospital. We also visited several laboratories in Phnom Penh to explore potential collaborators to perform our laboratory analyses including the Institut Pasteur de Cambodge.
The visit paved the ground to prepare the study implementation, i.e to complete the study protocol, order the necessary equipment, adjust the digital data management system and finalize the laboratory supply and support.
Training visit to Cambodia (30 November to 9 December 2022)
Between 30 November and 9 December 2022 a skills/training workshop took place at the Siem Reap Provincial Hospital, led by Dr A Denecke, gynaecologist at the Hannover Medical School. The workshop was attended by the gynaecologists and midwives from the Siem Reap Provincial Hospital and the study physicians and midwives of the Soth Nikum District Hospital. The workshop provided successful refresher training in colposcopy and VIA through theoretical training and practical mentoring sessions. Two German medical students also attended the workshop in preparation of their doctoral thesis within the cervical cancer screening project.
Implementation visit to Cambodia (20 Febr-3 Mar 2023)
The study PIs Dr Sathia and Dr Bussmann conducted the study implementation workshop jointly with Prof M Hampl, gynaecologist, St.Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, Köln Hohenlind. On 20 February 2023 the Undersecretary of State officially launched the project with a cervical cancer awareness presentation to the large audience of 176 participants who will be part of the recruitment, enrollment and study conduct. Also present were the study PI Dr Hero Kol, the OD and hospital directors.
During the following 2 weeks the Village Health Support Groups and health centers were trained in recruitment of eligible women to the study, and the hospital and health center teams (gynaecologist and midwives) received a comprehensive study training including protocol and SOP training, research ethics, skills training (e.g. cervicography, LEEP, biopsy, self-sample collection) and sample storage and transport.
At the end of the workshop all necessary steps for enrollment of study participants were completed.
26 Oct 2023 Enrollment completed
Study participant enrolment of 2500 screening-naïve women completed in the two study hospitals,Siem Reap Provincial Hospital and Soth Nikum District Hospital: DATE
The 7500th women was enrolled in the HPV self-sampling arm of the study in 6 health centers: DATE
