Addis Ababa

Researchers are evaluating the addition of curcumin as an extra treatment for women with advanced cervical cancer receiving standard palliative radiotherapy. This open-label pilot trial aims to test whether combining curcumin with radiation is feasible, safe, and whether it improves treatment response. The study also examines how much curcumin is absorbed and how long it stays in the body, focusing on patients with FIGO stage IIIB to IVA cervical cancer. Participants will take 250 mg capsules of a specially formulated curcumin with enhanced bioavailability four times a day for 4 to 6 weeks, starting seven days before and continuing during the course of palliative radiotherapy. The radiotherapy treatment follows local guidelines, delivering a biologically effective dose of 45-55 Gy over three to five weeks. This combined treatment approach is being carefully monitored during the study period. During the trial, participants will provide blood and urine samples for lab tests and curcumin level measurements. They will undergo CT scans to assess tumor response and complete questionnaires to evaluate changes in quality of life. Researchers will measure treatment fidelity, objective response rate, disease control, adverse events, dose adjustments, and quality-of-life improvements over 13 to 17 weeks. The study includes safety monitoring and follow-up assessments lasting up to 14 weeks, with data collection continuing for about one year.

Researchers are evaluating different ways to provide hepatitis B treatment in rural areas of Ethiopia through an observational study. The study aims to compare three models of decentralized hepatitis B care called the standard model, inclusive model, and test-and-treat model. This research is important because chronic hepatitis B affects 5-10% of Ethiopias population and can lead to serious complications or death without treatment. The study will also assess how these care models perform in real-world settings and their cost-effectiveness compared to hospital-based treatment. The study involves implementing three treatment approaches at primary hospitals or health clinics. The standard model treats patients only if they meet specific criteria such as cirrhosis or co-infections. The inclusive model treats all patients except those with low risk and no symptoms, while the test-and-treat model treats all patients who test positive. Treatment includes antiviral medication Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate, given orally once daily. Treatment is provided free to eligible patients meeting the criteria. Participants will be monitored over three years to track clinical outcomes like death or liver problems, as well as laboratory results and program success indicators such as linkage to care, loss to follow-up, viral suppression, and HIV incidence. The research team will collect data on these outcomes regularly to compare the effectiveness of the three models. The study aims to improve access to hepatitis B therapy in low-resource settings and contribute to global efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

The trial investigates the double burden of malnutrition, which includes both undernutrition and overnutrition, in children under five years old in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia. This issue poses a significant public health challenge, especially in developing countries undergoing nutritional transitions. The study aims to assess the impact of integrated double-duty interventions that address both forms of malnutrition simultaneously through nutrition behavior change communication. The study is a one-year, two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled trial involving 456 children aged 2 to 5 years. Participants are divided into two groups one receiving a double-duty intervention package and the other not receiving the intervention. The intervention focuses on promoting minimum dietary diversity, avoiding harm from high-energy foods, and managing market foods from the consumers perspective. Participants will be monitored over 10 months for outcomes including the proportion of children with double burden of malnutrition, dietary diversity scores, and frequency of illness. The study will also evaluate maternal nutritional status. Data collection includes assessing nutrition behaviors and health status to understand the interventions effect. The total study period spans from April 2023 to December 2023, with safety and progress monitored throughout.

Researchers are investigating how tuberculosis TB infection affects the development and function of the placenta in pregnant women. This observational study focuses on whether TB infection can cause changes in the placentas structure and function, possibly contributing to pregnancy complications. The study is conducted in public hospitals in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, where pregnant women are tested for TB infection using a blood test. Participants are enrolled when admitted to labor wards for delivery. The study involves collecting blood samples before delivery to test for TB infection and immune responses. The placenta is collected immediately after birth for detailed examination, including tissue analysis, RNA and protein expression studies, and detection of TB bacteria. Additional infant outcomes are assessed at birth and at a 6-week follow-up visit. Throughout the study, researchers collect detailed information on maternal and infant health, pregnancy history, and delivery details using questionnaires and medical records. Participants with suspected active TB provide sputum samples for further testing. The main outcome measured is the presence of pathological changes in the placenta, with additional assessments including gene and protein expression linked to pregnancy disorders and infant health outcomes. Follow-up visits and laboratory analyses support comprehensive monitoring of TBs impact on pregnancy over the study period.

Researchers are evaluating an intervention to reduce non-communicable disease NCD risks among pregnant women attending routine antenatal care ANC in urban health centers across four Ethiopian cities. The study focuses on improving maternal health behaviors and pregnancy outcomes by addressing unhealthy diets, low physical activity, and air pollution exposure, factors linked to increased health risks for mothers and newborns and potential long-term NCD development. The trial compares two groups one receiving standard routine ANC and the other receiving structured lifestyle counseling integrated into ANC visits. This counseling targets diet, physical activity, and air pollution behaviors, supported by health worker training, facilitation by trained staff, and a digital ANC eRegistry for clinical decision support. The study is conducted in 77 urban health centers with about 1,268 pregnant women enrolled before 20 weeks gestation and followed through delivery. Participants attend routine ANC visits where data on birth weight and maternal behaviors are collected, alongside assessments of counseling quality and ANC service delivery. Additional biomarker studies analyze maternal and newborn samples for early NCD risk markers. Researchers monitor implementation feasibility and acceptability through surveys, routine data, and interviews. The total study duration covers pregnancy until delivery, with data collected at baseline, during pregnancy, and up to 18 months post-intervention for some measures.

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility of using thermotherapy TT to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis CL in health centers located in the Sodo and South Sodo districts of Ethiopia. The study aims to determine if thermotherapy is practical, acceptable, and suitable in these settings, and to assess its effectiveness compared to health centers that do not offer thermotherapy. Patients in non-thermotherapy centers will be monitored for up to three months before referral to centers providing TT treatment. Thermotherapy is administered using the ThermoMed device, which heats the affected skin area to 50C for 30 seconds. Treatment may be given up to two times depending on patient response if no improvement is seen at week 4, a second dose is given if there is some response at week 4 but incomplete healing by week 8, a second dose may be administered then. The study involves training primary healthcare staff and health extension workers to diagnose and manage CL and to deliver the thermotherapy treatment. This project is conducted in phases, including development of training materials, piloting in two health centers with 20 patients, and broader implementation in additional centers with up to 165 patients. Participants will be screened and recruited at nearby health centers and monitored regularly with follow-up visits every four weeks until day 90. Digital photos and skin scrape samples will be collected for diagnosis confirmation. The study also uses focus groups and interviews to assess feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of integrating TT into primary care. Researchers will evaluate treatment success, diagnostic accuracy of healthcare staff, and patient adherence to treatment protocols. Patients successfully treated will be checked again at day 180 to monitor for any relapse of lesions.

Researchers are evaluating the impact of switching from iron-folic acid supplementation IFA to multiple micronutrient supplementation MMS during pregnancy on newborn birthweight in Ethiopia. This program effectiveness study uses a two-arm cluster randomized trial to compare MMS to IFA as part of routine antenatal care. The study aims to provide evidence for the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia to guide large-scale implementation decisions and contribute to global knowledge on MMS effectiveness. The study involves districts randomized to either continue IFA supplementation or replace it with MMS, which includes 15 essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, and zinc. This trial runs for 42 months starting in March 2022, with birthweight data collected continuously from January 2023 to December 2024. Facility surveys to assess process, cost, acceptability, adherence, and implementation challenges will be conducted at baseline, midline, and endline. Participants include women aged 15 to 49 who deliver liveborn infants in enrolled health facilities across 42 districts in Ethiopia. Birthweight is measured routinely by trained midwives using digital scales. Additional data collection includes facility readiness, antenatal care details, costs, and interviews with staff and health care users. The primary outcome is mean birthweight, with secondary outcomes covering cost-effectiveness, adherence, and acceptability. The study concludes with primary analysis in April 2025.

Researchers are evaluating new diagnostic technologies designed to detect upper and lower respiratory tract infections in both children and adults presenting with respiratory symptoms in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Senegal. This observational study aims to assess whether the novel lateral flow tests and microfluidic point-of-care platforms have sufficient accuracy and whether they are practical for use in low-resource clinical settings. The study is conducted across multiple sites and includes participants with suspected respiratory infections, such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. The study consists of two sub-studies. The first focuses on upper respiratory infections and evaluates a multiplex lateral flow test detecting influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 from nasal swabs, with results read visually and via an Android tablet. The second sub-study assesses a point-of-care instrument using microfluidic technology to detect bacterial and fungal pathogens in lower respiratory infections, comparing results with standard laboratory methods. Participants provide respiratory and blood samples, and some adults and community members complete surveys about sample biobanking and diagnostic acceptance. Participants attend a single study visit during which respiratory and blood samples are collected for testing and future research. Clinical and demographic information is gathered, and some participants complete surveys or interviews about biobanking acceptability. The study measures diagnostic accuracy and feasibility of the new tests compared to reference methods. Routine medical care continues unchanged, and the study includes participants aged 6 months and older. The trial aims to complete in mid-2026.

Chronic heart failure CHF is a long-term condition where the heart cannot pump blood effectively, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, leg swelling, and lowered ability to perform daily tasks. This trial evaluates if a mobile-based telemedicine program can improve the health-related quality of life for adult patients with CHF in Ethiopia by comparing it to routine care. The research focuses on patient-reported outcomes and aims to support cardiac care in resource-limited settings. The study involves 70 adult CHF patients divided into two groups 35 receive routine care plus an 8-week mobile-based telemedicine program, and 35 receive routine care only. The telemedicine program includes scheduled phone calls, text messages, and WhatsApp communications providing health education, medication reminders, lifestyle advice, and symptom monitoring. The control group continues with standard follow-up care without additional telemedicine support. Participants will have their quality of life measured at the start and after 8 weeks using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire MLHFQ. Researchers will analyze changes in quality of life between the groups and may also assess self-care behaviors, medication adherence, and symptom control. The study runs from March to August 2026, with primary outcome assessment at 8 weeks and overall completion by August 21, 2026.

Researchers are studying cutaneous leishmaniasis CL to better understand how miltefosine works in treating this skin condition. The study focuses on how the parasite clears from the body and how the drug is absorbed and distributed during treatment. This research aims to improve miltefosine dosing and treatment duration, especially for children and patients in Ethiopia, as current 28-day treatments may not be sufficient. The study observes two groups of patients one group weighing 30 kg or more will receive miltefosine based on weight 100 mg or 150 mg daily, while the other group, weighing less than 30 kg, will receive an allometric dose adjusted for weight, height, and sex. Treatment lasts a minimum of four weeks and can be extended up to eight weeks depending on response. The study will measure miltefosine concentrations in the blood and skin over time to understand drug levels and parasite dynamics. Participants will be closely monitored through blood and skin tests at multiple time points, from the start of treatment up to 180 days. Researchers will assess parasite levels, drug concentration, treatment outcomes, safety, and explore factors like resistance, nutritional status, and other infections that might affect treatment. Participants will provide informed consent and stay hospitalized during treatment. This detailed monitoring will help optimize dosing strategies for future patients.