Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 108 | Published: 13 Oct 2026
Hamilton Wales Kainga1,7, Mirriam Nakalembe1,2, Patience Muwanguzi3 , Grace Chiudzu4, Joan Kalyango1, Sam Ononge1, Noel Kasomekera5,7, Moses Aaron5,6, Kondwani Matiya5, Brown David Khongo5, Charles Karamagi1
1School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 2Infectious Disease Unit, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 3School of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 4College of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi, 5Partners In Health / Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyu, Neno, Lilongwe, Malawi; 6Neglected Diseases and Envenoming Group Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; 7Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
&Corresponding author: Hamilton Kainga, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Email: kaingahamilton@gmail.com
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 13 Oct 2026
Domain: Non-Communicanle Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Cervical cancer, survival outcomes, Malawi
©Hamilton Kainga et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Hamilton Kainga et al., Factors influencing the survival among women with cervical cancer in Malawi: The role of HIV status. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):108. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-00108
Malawi has one of the highest cervical cancer mortality rates globally, yet evidence on survival and its determinants remains limited. This study assessed survival outcomes and factors associated with survival among cervical cancer patients in Malawi, with emphasis on the role of HIV-status.
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using hospital records and cancer registry data for patients diagnosed between January 2020 and December 2025. Data were collected using a data-extraction tool. Kaplan–Meier methods and log-rank tests were used to estimate and compare survival distributions. Gompertz parametric models identified factors associated with survival. Patients lost to follow-up were right-censored at their last contact. Sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of findings.
Among 1,250 patients, the median age was 52 years (IQR: 45–62), and 320 (25.6%) were living with HIV, all receiving antiretroviral therapy. At last follow-up, 599 (47.9%) had died, 477 (38.2%) were alive, 174 (13.9%) were lost to follow-up, and 60 (4.8%) had experienced recurrence. Age ≥50 years was associated with increased mortality (HR=1.356, 95% CI: 1.169–1.778; p=0.012), whereas squamous cell carcinoma was associated with lower mortality (HR=0.721, 95% CI: 0.555–0.936; p=0.014). Advanced cancer stage was associated with increased recurrence (HR=2.009, 95% CI: 1.210–3.339; p=0.007) and mortality (HR=2.141, 95% CI: 1.718–2.669; p<0.001). Tumour size ≥5 cm was associated with increased recurrence (HR=1.276, 95% CI: 1.017–1.759; p=0.036) and mortality (HR=1.912, 95% CI: 1.616–2.240; p=0.015). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with lower recurrence (HR=0.272, 95% CI: 0.077–0.681; p=0.041). HIV status was not independently associated with recurrence-free survival (HR=0.903, 95% CI: 0.751–1.086; p=0.278) or overall survival (HR=0.961, 95% CI: 0.801–1.156; p=0.466).
A substantial proportion of deaths (47.9%) and 4.8% of the patients experienced cancer recurrence were observed. Age, advanced stage, tumour size, and histological subtype were associated with survival outcomes. HIV status was not independently associated with recurrence-free or overall survival. Strengthening early detection and timely access to comprehensive cancer care may improve outcomes in Malawi.
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