Clinical trials

The Rotavirus SpatioTrasncriptomics (Rota-Omics) study is a multidisciplinary research project aimed at understanding why oral rotavirus vaccines perform less effectively in some low- and middle-income countries, including Zambia. Rotavirus remains one of the leading causes of severe diarrheal disease in infants and young children worldwide, despite the widespread introduction of vaccines such as Rotarix® and Rotavac®. Although these vaccines have greatly reduced childhood deaths in many countries, vaccine effectiveness is often lower in settings where the burden of disease is highest. Understanding the reasons behind this reduced protection is critical for improving child health globally. A major focus of the study is Environmental Enteropathy (EE), also known as Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a chronic inflammatory condition of the small intestine that is common in low-resource settings. EE is associated with damage to the intestinal lining, chronic immune activation, poor nutrient absorption, and impaired gut barrier function. These changes are thought to interfere with the body's ability to respond effectively to oral vaccines, which rely on strong intestinal immune responses. The RotaOmics study uses a systems biology approach to investigate how the immune system, gut microbiome, nutrition, and intestinal inflammation interact to influence rotavirus vaccine responses. The term "omics" refers to advanced technologies that allow researchers to study genes, proteins, microbes, and other biological processes at a large scale. By combining these approaches, the study aims to identify biological markers and immune pathways associated with strong or weak vaccine responses. The study involves the collection of samples such as blood, stool, saliva, and breast milk from mothers and infants at different time points before and after vaccination. These samples are analysed using laboratory methods including antibody testing, molecular pathogen detection, microbiome sequencing, and immune profiling. The study also evaluates markers of gut inflammation and intestinal health. One important goal of the project is to identify correlates of protection, which are measurable biological indicators that predict whether a vaccine is likely to protect against disease. Identifying these markers could help guide the development of improved vaccines or supportive interventions to enhance vaccine performance in vulnerable populations. The study also contributes to a broader understanding of mucosal immunity, which refers to immune responses occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. Since many enteric infections begin in the gut, understanding intestinal immune function is important not only for rotavirus vaccines but also for other oral vaccines and diarrheal diseases. In addition to its scientific objectives, RotaOmics includes a strong capacity-building component. The project supports training for local scientists, clinicians, and laboratory personnel in areas such as molecular biology, immunology, genomics, bioinformatics, and data analysis. By strengthening local research expertise and infrastructure, the study aims to support long-term scientific development and improve regional capacity for infectious disease research and outbreak response. Overall, the RotaOmics study seeks to generate new insights into why oral rotavirus vaccines underperform in some settings and to identify strategies that may improve vaccine effectiveness and child health outcomes in Zambia and similar regions worldwide.

Cholera is a serious diarrheal disease that can be fatal within hours of onset. The current available cholera vaccines to prevent the disease are not very effective. Panchol is a new oral cholera vaccine that may be an improvement over the currently available vaccines in use. The goal of this study is to learn safety of this new oral cholera vaccine and the body's immune response to the vaccine. The researchers will compare the PanChol vaccine to placebo to see the side effects experienced in participants. The participants will be adults aged between 18 and 55 years and they will be required to: 1. Be admitted to hospital until they stop passing the cholera vaccine in their stool. During admission, all side effects will be recorded by the researchers. 2. After discharge, the participants will visit the research site every month for 3 months with an optional visit at the 4th month for the researchers to assess the participants' general health.

The study aims to increase the reach of the person-centred interpersonal practices by developing and accessing a tailored, scalable, and sustainable approach that meets the distinctive needs of populations identified as most disproportionately affected by viremia in Zambia. The study population include pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, adolescents and adult that are more than thirty -30 days late for their next hospital appointments.The study will be implemented over a period of 36 months in 24 facilities in Lusaka and Central province, Zambia.

Background and rationale:The World Health Organisation (WHO), estimates influenza global deaths at 290,000 to 650,000 annually. Although influenza is mostly associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), its role in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and the associated poor clinical outcomes have been overlooked in sub-Saharan Africa. A study conducted in eight SSA countries estimated that 8.2% of cases and 2.8% of deaths from LRTIs were due to primary infection with influenza. Pneumonia and influenza-associated illness are responsible for 8.5% of respiratory deaths in Zambia. However, in routine practice, testing to distinguish between bacterial and viral etiology of RTIs is seldom done outside sentinel surveillance due to the high cost and lack of available testing options. This consequently underestimates viral RTIs in the population. It is particularly important to diagnose flu early on in vulnerable populations so that they receive timely and appropriate medical care. Although Zambia is a high HIV burden country with a prevalence of 11%, there is presently no study that has described the burden of influenza in the HIV positive population. This research study will address gaps in current scientific knowledge, providing key insights about the prevalence, circulating types, seasonality and associated clinical outcomes of influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 infection in Zambia in the post COVID-19 era. Objectives Primary To determine the prevalence of influenza (A and/or B) infections in a high HIV burden setting in Lusaka, Zambia over one or more influenza seasons. Secondary 1. To determine the prevalence of influenza co-infection with RSV and/or SARS-CoV-2 2. To determine the clinical outcomes of influenza (A and/or B) infection among Zambian adults, with and without co-infection with RSV and COVID-19, by HIV and COVID-19 vaccination status. 3. To evaluate the accuracy and yield of aerosol-based sampling for diagnosis of respiratory viruses (influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV) compared to nasal/ nasopharyngeal swabs, for rapid diagnosis of infection among symptomatic individuals in Zambia. 4. To evaluate the acceptability of exhaled breath aerosol (XBA) sampling for diagnosis and screening of respiratory infections of pandemic potential. Study design and participants: Primary objective and secondary objective 1: Cross sectional surveillance study of individuals presenting with flu-like symptoms at two first level hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. Recruitment of 594 participants will be done over the study period and participants will include both males and females presenting with 2-7 days of flu-like symptoms, able to provide informed consent, aged ≥18 years, with a known HIV status or willing to be tested, with a known COVID 19 vaccination status and available for symptom follow-up. Secondary objective 2: Prospective follow up of participants enrolled in aim 1 for 14 days will be done to document clinical symptom progression and outcomes. Appropriate care will be provided to all participants within routine care services. Secondary objective 3 \& 4: Mixed methods approach. All patients enrolled under aim 1 will be requested to provide in addition to the routine nasopharyngeal sample, an aerosol-based sample for diagnostic accuracy and yield evaluation. We will also conduct an investigator-administered questionnaire to ascertain end-user experience and preferences for either sampling method. Location Zambia (Kanyama and Chawama sub-districts) Duration April 2025 to November 2026 (Participant enrolment duration)

This will be a pilot study of an alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) program conducted within existing HIV prevention and treatment services for adolescents and young adults (AYA) in Lusaka, Zambia. The screening component of the program will feature both a self-report and a urine biomarker (ethyl glucuronide; EtG) to evaluate recent alcohol use. We will recruit 60 AYA to participate in the pilot. The specific aims of this pilot are to: Specific aims: 1. Explore implementation factors of the SBIRT program within HIV prevention and treatment services through a process evaluation. We will quantitatively track the number of AYA in the SBIRT care cascade: 1) the number screened who have recent alcohol use; 2) the number of those with recent alcohol use who receive the brief intervention (BI); 3) the number of those who are referred for additional treatment; and 4) among those who are referred, the number who successfully link and complete treatment. We will collect time use data from clinic staff and counselors to estimate the time burden required for the SBIRT program. We will conduct 30 in-depth interviews with AYA three months after the screening. The sample will include adolescents who: (1) did not recently use alcohol; (2) received BI due to recent alcohol use that was low/moderate risk; and (3) were referred for treatment due to higher risk alcohol use. Interviews will focus on: (1) implementation factors (e.g., acceptability, feasibility) of the SBIRT program and (2) barriers and facilitators to the program's implementation. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews will also be conducted with program staff (e.g., counselors, clinic staff) and other stakeholders (e.g., community leaders, policy-makers). 2. Evaluate the preliminary impact of the SBIRT program on AYA alcohol use. Among AYA who have recent alcohol use at screening, we will measure change in use at a three-month follow-up visit.