Preventative Intervention for Cholera for 7 Days

NCT ID: NCT05166850

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2900 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-12-22

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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The first objective of our study is to develop a theory-driven evidence-based targeted water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention for household members of diarrhea patients in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through formative research and community engagement. The second objective is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of 2,320 household members of 580 severe diarrhea patients to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed targeted WASH intervention in terms of: 1. reducing diarrheal diseases household members of cholera and severe diarrhea patients; and 2. increasing WASH behaviors.

Detailed Description

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This study develops and evaluates a targeted water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) intervention to reduce cholera and severe diarrhea among the household members of diarrhea patients in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through formative research and a randomized controlled trial. This study will also investigate cholera and severe diarrhea transmission dynamics among diarrhea patient households using genomics and a risk factor analysis. The study will be divided into two phases: (1) the Formative Research and Intervention Development Phase; and (2) the Intervention Implementation and Evaluation Phase.

In the two arm randomized controlled trial of diarrhea patient households, we compare the standard message given in DRC to diarrhea patients to the PICHA7 mHealth program. The standard message arm is the standard recommendation given in DRC to diarrhea patients at discharge on the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) for dehydration, and the importance of handwashing with soap and water treatment for disease prevention. The PICHA7 mHealth program arm will first be delivered during a health facility visit by a health promoter bedside to a diarrhea patient (adults and child) and their accompanying household members during the time of illness followed by two home visits during the 7-day high risk period for diarrheal disease transmission. The health promoter delivers a pictorial WASH module on how diarrhea can spread, and instructions on handwashing with soap, water treatment, and safe water storage. A diarrhea prevention package is provided containing: a one-month supply of chlorine tablets for water treatment, a soapy water bottle for handwashing, a handwashing station, and a water vessel with a lid and tap to ensure safe water storage. After health facility delivery of the program, patient households receive weekly voice and text messages from the PICHA7 mHealth program over 12 months on the recommended WASH behaviors.

Conditions

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Cholera Water-Related Diseases Diarrhea Infectious

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Standard Arm

Standard recommendation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for diarrhea patients upon discharge from health facilities

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard Arm

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard message given in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to diarrhea patients at health facility discharge on use of oral rehydration solution

Preventive-Intervention-for-Cholera-for-7-Days (PICHA7) Mobile Health (mHealth) Program

Preventive-Intervention-for-Cholera-for-7-Days (PICHA7) mHealth program promoting handwashing with soap and water treatment for diarrhea patient households

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

PICHA7 mHealth program

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The PICHA7 mHealth program is first delivered during a health facility visit by a health promoter bedside to a diarrhea patient (adults and child) and their accompanying household members during the time of illness followed by two home visits during the 7-day high risk period for diarrheal disease transmission. The health promoter delivers a pictorial WASH module on how diarrhea can spread, and instructions on handwashing with soap, water treatment, and safe water storage. A diarrhea prevention package is provided containing: a one-month supply of chlorine tablets for water treatment, a soapy water bottle for handwashing, a handwashing station, and a water vessel with a lid and tap to ensure safe water storage. After health facility delivery of the program, patient households receive weekly voice and text messages from the PICHA7 mHealth program over 12 months on the recommended WASH behaviors.

Standard Arm

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard message given in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to diarrhea patients at health facility discharge on use of oral rehydration solution

Interventions

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PICHA7 mHealth program

The PICHA7 mHealth program is first delivered during a health facility visit by a health promoter bedside to a diarrhea patient (adults and child) and their accompanying household members during the time of illness followed by two home visits during the 7-day high risk period for diarrheal disease transmission. The health promoter delivers a pictorial WASH module on how diarrhea can spread, and instructions on handwashing with soap, water treatment, and safe water storage. A diarrhea prevention package is provided containing: a one-month supply of chlorine tablets for water treatment, a soapy water bottle for handwashing, a handwashing station, and a water vessel with a lid and tap to ensure safe water storage. After health facility delivery of the program, patient households receive weekly voice and text messages from the PICHA7 mHealth program over 12 months on the recommended WASH behaviors.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Standard Arm

Standard message given in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to diarrhea patients at health facility discharge on use of oral rehydration solution

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Diarrhea patients presenting with three or more loose stools over a 24h period
* Having no running water inside of their home
* Plan to reside in Bukavu for the next 12 months
* Have a child \<5 years in their household
* Have a working mobile phone in the household

Exclusion Criteria

* No one will be excluded because of age, sex, religion, or sexual preference
* Presenting at the health facility with a fever (COVID-19 prevention)
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of New Mexico

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Wellcome Sanger Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Christine Marie George, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Associate Professor

Locations

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General Provincial Reference Hospital of Bukavu

Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Site Status RECRUITING

Université Catholique de Bukavu

Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Central Contacts

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Christine Marie George, PhD

Role: CONTACT

(202) 657-5798

Facility Contacts

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Justin Cikomola, MD

Role: primary

+243 814479302

References

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George CM, Sanvura P, Bisimwa JC, Endres K, Namunesha A, Felicien W, Banywesize BM, Williams C, Perin J, Sack DA, Boroto R, Nsimire G, Rugusha F, Endeleya F, Kitumaini P, Lunyelunye C, Buhendwa E, Kitumaini Bujiriri P, Tumusifu J, Munyerenkana B, Trivedi S, Davis KL, Jacobson K, Al-Dandashi KM, Leung DT, Caulfield LE, Bengehya J, Maheshe G, Cikomola C, Mwishingo A, Bisimwa L. Effects of a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program on Diarrhea, Cholera, and Child Growth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of the Preventative Intervention for Cholera for 7 Days (PICHA7 WASHmobile) Mobile Health Program. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 6;81(4):785-796. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaf417.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 41206550 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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IRB00009848

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id