26 June 2024, Ifakara Health Institute and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) met with the District Medical Officer (DMO) and Council Health Management Committee members (CHMT) in Kibaoni, Ifakara, to discuss progress on their joint initiative to eliminate cervical cancer in Tanzania.

The initiative titled, ‘Towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Tanzania: Transdisciplinary Science for Smarter Implementation Strategies’ or simply known as TRACCTION, focuses on enhancing cervical cancer pre-screening in the Morogoro Region through innovative, community-based research methods. 

The study is led by Prof. Sonja Merten, International Principal Investigator, Dr. Sally Mtenga, National Principal Investigator and Dr Grace Mhalu, Project Manager.

The study utilizes a combination of mixed-methods and arts-based research to gather high-quality evidence. This approach ensures that women's perspectives, experiences, and concerns regarding cervical cancer are integral to policy development and the implementation of health interventions.

The DMO and his colleagues thanked the TRACCTION team for their work and called for more community-based evidence like this to ensure women's health services respond to community needs.

TRACCTION aims to significantly improve the effectiveness of interventions and contribute to the ultimate goal of eliminating cervical cancer in Tanzania. 

Learn more on this here: TRACCTION