Managing Hepatitis B (Hep. B) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Related Cancers and Mental Health.

Hypotheses:

• The prevalence of HPV infection (might be high) and Hep B immunity (might be low) is not documented and therefore unknown in this community, as there is no routine surveillance of these specific conditions
• Behavioral risk factors of High School students in Matabeleland South Province have not yet been assessed and remain unaddressed, hence the high rates of suicide, infection, and teen pregnancy, which predispose participants to Hep B and HPV related infection and consequently, cancers. Participants have not had access to the HPV preventing vaccine Gardasil 9. To provide answers to these concerns, investigators propose the activity described below.

Objectives

The objectives of this proposal are twofold:

1. Research- uses the Theory of Change and the quantitative epidemiologic descriptive survey method to gather, analyze, and interpret data and disseminate results. There is no sampling frame as this study is exploratory. True prevalences are not known.

1.1 Data collection, analysis, and interpretation to determine the burden of HPV infection; determine the HPV types that are prevalent in this community to assess the potential effectiveness of the available vaccine; assess the potential for developing a vaccine covering local Genotypes; determine the prevalence of immunity to Hep B, and depression prevalence among adult participants.1.2. Conduct a youth risk behavior screen to determine potential infection risk and mental health issues, and design intervention strategies.1.3 Disseminate preliminary findings after the first 6 months or year one and suggest intervention strategies that can be evaluated for effectiveness during the study period. Publish findings and scale project to other areas in Zimbabwe and internationally.1.4 Request collaboration with NIH/NCI/Global center/Behavioral health to strengthen research capabilities and service provision in this area.2. Intervention 2.1 Recruit 1140 consenting female participants attending prenatal, family planning, post-partum, and other clinics at these selected centers to perform a one-time comprehensive medical exam, pap smear (to detect abnormal cells, and HPV test (if eligible) to detect infection in the cervix); perform blood test to look for Hep. B. and cancer biomarkers' presence, perform a one-time fibro scan to assess the liver. 2.2 Administer the Youth Risk Behavior Screen (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to 1000 consenting students in the selected schools over a period of 5years to determine the types and significance of problem behavior and suggest appropriate interventions; Assess protective factors among boarders versus day scholars. offer the Gardasil 9 vaccine to 1000 eligible students with parental consent. 2.3 Refer participants with abnormal screens for further assessments and management, including behavioral health intervention as indicated. Assess potential for home visits, telehealth services, routine screening, and immunization to ease access to services. Create teen clinics at the school sites. Analyze data at three levels using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for significance testing and disseminate results. Solicit Ministry of Health and Childcare (MOHCC) buy-in for scaling to other Provinces.

• Investigators plan to follow up this cohort for ten years post-vaccination
• Based on the data obtained, clinical trials will assess the probability of developing an HPV vaccine that is user and patient-friendly to Low to Middle Income Countries (LMIC); promote creation and use of screening tools suitable for rural communities.
• Participants identified as having risk behaviors will be offered further assessment by a psychiatrist or /and/or psychologist to develop a viable framework to prevent and manage such behaviors, including medication, which is currently not available in Zimbabwe.

Recommendations regarding women's health, i.e., screening for cervical cancer and vaccination against HPV and Hep B, depression, and Intimate Partner Violence will be guided by the findings of this study.