BREAKTHROUGH

Enhanced “BReast and cErvical cAncer screening in Kenya THROUGH implementation science research and training

Breast and cervical cancer kill many millions of women around the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, even though deaths and disability related to these cancers can be prevented by early detection and treatment. There are major gaps in the screening for and coordination of care to prevent women’s cancers in countries like Kenya; a profound inequity that threatens the health and well-being of women, their families, and communities. We propose to establish the Enhanced BReast and cErvical cAncer screening in Kenya THROUGH implementation science research and training (BREAKTHROUGH) Center, a partnership between institutions in Kenya, the US, and Canada improve women’s cancer control in Kenya.

Aims

1. Provide administrative leadership and infrastructure for implementation science research and training at Kenyatta National Hospital that engages community, health system, academic, and government stakeholders, and enhances breast and cervical cancer screening and linkage to care.
2. Train the next generation of Kenyan researchers in implementation science for women’s cancers.
3. Co-develop, test, and disseminate strategies to engage women in breast and cervical cancer screening and link them to care through rigorous implementation science projects.

Approach

BREAKTHROUGH has initiated two research projects to understand how best to integrate cervical and breast cancer screening into public health primary care settings in Kenya:

• DADA LINK (accelerating aDoption of pAtient-centereD cervicAl cancer screening and treatment LINKage in Kenya), which is led by Dr. Rose Kosgei and Dr. Leslie Johnson.
• MATITI YANGU (Multi-level strATegy for InTegrating Information technologY and mobile health to strengthen linkAges to breast caNcer screeninG and early detection among women Utilizing primary care in Kenya), which is led by Dr. Daniel Ojuka and Dr. Karen Yeates.

The BREAKTHROUGH Center provides multiple opportunities to help develop a base of Kenyan researchers in cancer-related implementation science through its Research Capacity Building Core, which is led by Dr. Nancy Ngumbau and Dr. Saria Hassan. These opportunities include:

• Access to advanced coursework in implementations science methods at Emory University,
• Continued education through implementation science coursework at Kenyatta National Hospital,
• Participation in a three-month practicum for medical and nursing students, and
• Access to seminars, webinars, and networking events.

 

Funding

BREAKTHROUGH is funded through a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant: U54 CA284036.