Reinventing Cervical Cancer Screening Through Technology and Equity
GWHT and KEMRI staff collaborate on using the Pocket Colposcope in Kisumu, Kenya
Technology-Enabled early cervical cancer detection in Low-Resource Settings
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Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet it remains a leading cause of cancer mortality among women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Persistent gaps in early detection—driven by limited access to screening, reliance on subjective visual assessment, and shortages of trained specialists—continue to hinder prevention efforts. Our global cervical cancer initiative addresses these challenges through interdisciplinary research that integrates biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and digital health.
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Our work enables a fundamental shift in cervical cancer screening—from specialists to midwives, from hospitals to community clinics, and from clinics to home-based self-screening. Deployment in Peru has already expanded access to screening for thousands of women, many of whom had never been screened previously. Ongoing clinical and implementation studies in Kenya continue to evaluate advanced imaging and AI-driven diagnostics, and digital health.
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Through long-standing partnerships in Kenya and Peru, we aim to shift screening earlier, closer to communities, and ultimately into women’s own hands, advancing equitable and scalable solutions for cervical cancer prevention.
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Detecting cervical cancer earlier: Imaging, AI, and Digital Platforms for Equity
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We have developed an integrated suite of portable imaging technologies, AI-based diagnostic algorithms, and digital health tools designed to strengthen the cervical cancer care continuum in resource-constrained settings.
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Point-of-Care Imaging Devices
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Pocket Colposcope: A low-cost, portable cervical imaging device designed for use by midwives and community health workers and recognized by the World Health Organization as an alternative to standard clinical colposcopes.
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Callascope: A speculum-free, self-imaging device that enables women to privately image their cervix, reducing discomfort and supporting home-based screening.
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Both devices incorporate contrast uptake kinetics imaging to enhance diagnostic specificity.
The Pocket colposcope (top) and Callascope (bottom) are point of care imaging technologies for cervical cancer detection.
Artificial Intelligence Pipeline for Cervical Cancer Detection
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Our research develops deep learning–based diagnostic pipelines that address both clinical interpretation and image quality limitations inherent to imaging-based screening. To mitigate provider variability and domain gaps between standard-of-care systems and emerging low-cost devices, we employ generative and transfer learning approaches that leverage existing datasets while augmenting limited and imbalanced data. These strategies improve model robustness and generalizability, supporting reliable deployment in resource-constrained clinical environments. Companion deep learning algorithm enables systematic evaluation of how image quality, labeling practices, and workflows influence model performance, while providing clinicians with real-time feedback and supporting iterative algorithm improvement.
Video captures enhanced contrast uptake kinetics to segment a lesion
Systems-Level Integration for Real-World Impact
All technologies are integrated within a mobile health platform that supports structured image capture, automated quality control, AI-based analysis, and secure data management. Images acquired through a mobile application are transmitted to a backend system where diagnostic and auxiliary algorithms are applied, and both raw images and model outputs are stored alongside clinical metadata and annotations.
Translational digital framework connects developers and clinical providers
GWHT Cervical Cancer Imaging Research Team
Collaborators
Published Research
Lillian Ekem, Erica Skerrett, Megan J. Huchko, and Nimmi Ramanujam. "Automated Image Clarity Detection for the Improvement of Colposcopy Imaging with Multiple Devices." Biomedical Signal Processing and Control 100, Pt B, Feb 2025.
Marlee Krieger, Nimmi Ramanujam, Brian Crouch, and Mary Dotson. "PR007/#830 Implementing technology that disrupts health systems but not quality of care: the pocket colposcope." International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 34, no. 3, Oct 2024.
Jayashree Natarajan, Sandeep Mathur, Sreenivas Vishnubhatla, Sunesh Kumar, Shachi Vashist, Nimmi Ramanujam, Seema Singhal, Jyoti Meena, Pranay Tanwar, and Neerja Bhatla. "Can portable Colposcopes Repace Standard-of-Care Colposcopes? A Crossover Trial of Two Portable Colposcopes with a Standard-of-Care Video Colposcope." Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 23 no. 12, Dec 2022.