Stigma as a barrier to cancer palliative care outcomes among people with HIV in India

Cancer incidence is rising among people living with HIV, as improved access to antiretroviral treatment has led to an increased life expectancy worldwide, including in India, thereby also increasing the need for palliative care services. While it is well known that HIV stigma acts as a barrier to engagement and retention in HIV care, we do not yet know how the additional stigma of cancer may compound this problem. The proposed study would meet this need by adapting our current India HIV stigma measures and African palliative outcome measures for use among people living with co-morbid HIV and cancer in India, and to adapt a novel evidence-based African intervention to improve access to effective palliation and end-of-life decisions throughout the care continuum in India. This is a two year study conducted in collaboration with our colleagues at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

PIs: Maria L. Ekstrand PhD, Naveen Salins MD

Consultant: Richard Harding PhD

UCSF-based Project Staff: Elsa Heylen MA, Amanda Mazur MS

Sep 13, 2018 - Aug 31, 2020