TruScreen Targets $300K Gates Grant for Nigeria Cervical Cancer Screening
TruScreen collaborates with Nigerian teaching hospital on Gates Foundation grant application
TruScreen Group has partnered with Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant application targeting cost-disruptive cervical cancer screening in Nigeria. The application, submitted 28 April 2026, seeks US$300,000 in funding under the Grand Challenges: Innovations in Cost-Disruptive Tools for Diagnosis and Screening programme.
Dr Ayokunle Moses Olumodeji, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at LASUTH, selected TruScreen’s AI-enabled cervical cancer screening device as the cornerstone of his proposed study. Dr Olumodeji serves as lead investigator for the Gates Foundation–funded AZI-NV Trial and the Grand Challenges Canada CATCH Study, bringing established credentials in global health research to the partnership.
The grant decision is expected within six months of submission. If awarded, the study will run for two years and enrol 500 to 1,500 women, dependent on final funding allocation.
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What is the Gates Foundation Grand Challenges programme?
The Gates Foundation Grand Challenges initiative funds innovations that address critical health challenges in low-resource settings. This particular programme focuses on “cost-disruptive” diagnostic tools—solutions that can be deployed at scale in developing nations where existing technologies are too expensive or infrastructure-dependent to reach vulnerable populations.
The programme specifically targets tools that eliminate reliance on laboratory facilities, specialist personnel, or complex supply chains. TruScreen’s technology profile aligns with these requirements by delivering real-time screening results at the point of care without requiring cytology labs or trained pathologists.
Gates Foundation backing could accelerate market adoption for TruScreen and provide credibility for regulatory approvals across other African and developing markets where cervical cancer screening remains inaccessible to the majority of women.
Why TruScreen was selected for the study
Nigeria faces the highest cervical cancer burden in Africa, with 14,089 new cases and 8,240 deaths reported in 2022 according to WHO data. The country’s limited laboratory infrastructure and shortage of trained cytology personnel create barriers to screening access, particularly in rural areas.
Dr Olumodeji selected TruScreen based on operational characteristics that address these infrastructure gaps:
- No laboratory facilities required for sample processing
- No specialist personnel needed to operate the device
- Simple to train and operate without extensive medical background
- Fully portable device for deployment in decentralised clinics
- Delivers real-time results at the point of care, eliminating follow-up visits
These features align directly with the Gates Foundation’s requirement for cost-disruptive, software-defined diagnostics that can be deployed at scale in underserved markets.
The “Screen-and-Treat” model
Dr Olumodeji’s proposed study centres on a same-visit “Screen-and-Treat” model that pairs TruScreen’s AI-enabled device with thermal ablation treatment in decentralised rural clinics. This approach eliminates the need for multiple hospital visits and laboratory processing, reaching women who would otherwise have no access to screening services.
The model represents a scalable deployment framework that could be replicated across other underserved markets. By enabling immediate treatment following a positive screening result, the approach addresses one of the primary barriers to cervical cancer prevention in low-resource settings: loss to follow-up after initial screening.
Strategic significance of the LASUTH partnership
LASUTH serves as Nigeria’s leading tertiary referral centre and the clinical arm of LASUCOM. The hospital’s close relationship with the Nigerian government positions it as a key advisor on public health policy, meaning any successful trial could influence national screening guidelines beyond the immediate study cohort.
A successful grant award would generate the first West African validation dataset for TruScreen and lay the groundwork for adoption as standard-of-care for same-visit cervical cancer screening in Nigeria.
Government Advisory Positioning
LASUTH’s role as a policy advisor to the Nigerian government positions the proposed study to influence national screening guidelines beyond the trial itself, potentially creating a direct pathway from clinical validation to policy adoption and public sector procurement.
Key milestones and timeline
| Milestone | Date/Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Application submitted | 28 April 2026 |
| Grant decision expected | Within 6 months (approx. Oct 2026) |
| Study duration (if awarded) | 2 years |
The grant decision is expected approximately October 2026. This remains a grant application, and funding is not guaranteed. If awarded, the two-year study would commence following the grant announcement and completion of ethics approvals.
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TruScreen’s growing international footprint
The Nigeria partnership fits within TruScreen’s broader strategy to establish presence in high-burden, underserved markets with significant scaling potential. The device is registered in multiple jurisdictions and maintains distributors in 29 countries.
TruScreen technology has been added to screening guidelines in multiple markets, including the Vietnam Ministry of Health approved National Technical List (December 2023) and Russian cervical cancer screening guidelines (2024). The device is recognised in the Chinese Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology’s China Cervical Cancer Screening Management Guidelines.
In financial year 2024 alone, over 200,000 examinations were performed with the TruScreen device. To date, over 200 devices have been installed and used across China, Vietnam, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
The Nigeria opportunity represents the next frontier in TruScreen’s emerging markets strategy, targeting a country with both high disease burden and government commitment to expanding screening access. Association with Gates Foundation programmes provides validation of TruScreen’s technology and a potential pathway to large-scale deployment in similar underserved markets across Africa and beyond.
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