Suubi4Cancer: Improving Access to Pediatric Cancer Services and Treatment Adherence Among Children Living With HIV/AIDS

Summary

This study will tailor and explore the short-term preliminary outcomes of an existing evidence-based Economic Empowerment (EE) Intervention, Suubi (Hope in Luganda -local Ugandan language), on access to pediatric cancer diagnosis, care, and treatment adherence among youth living with HIV (YLWHIV) with suspected cancers. The study will specifically address the following aims/research questions: Aim 1. Identify confirmed and suspected cancer cases in a cohort of \>3000 HIV+ youth (ages 10-24) seen at 39 clinics in 5 districts heavily affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Uganda. Aim 2. Identify those lost to follow-up from the cohort in Aim 1 and determine reasons for loss to follow-up through qualitative interviews. 2.1. Identify those who have not returned to the clinic in ≥ 60 days (\~2 months) from their expected return visit date. 2.2. Determine reasons for loss to follow-up or death. Aim 3. Conduct an open clinical trial to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the Suubi4Cancer intervention.

\*Due to insufficient sample size, Aim 3 is not implemented.

Conditions

• HIV/AIDS
• Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Combination intervention

The FDA will be a matched savings account held in the child's name with the parent or caregiver as the co-signer, in a financial institution registered by the Central Bank (Bank of Uganda). The account opened will be matched with money from the program up to a match cap of 72,000 Uganda shillings (an equivalent of $20) a month per family for the 9-month intervention period. The FDAs will be complemented with four sessions of Financial Literacy and Management (FL\&M) and two sessions of cancer education conducted over a 4-week period. The two cancer-specific education sessions will use UCI materials to address: 1) definitions of cancer, potential causes, signs and symptoms, and importance of cancer testing; 2) debunking cultural explanations for the causes of cancer and misconceptions (beliefs, values, norms and prevailing attitudes)regarding cancer that largely impede service use.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Uganda Cancer Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Reach the Youth Uganda

  collaborator OTHER

• Washington University School of Medicine

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD · Washington University School of Medicine

• Kimberly N Johnson, PhD · Washington University School of Medicine

• Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD · Washington University School of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

10 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-10-15

Primary Completion

2021-09-20

Completion

2021-09-20

Countries

• Uganda

Study Locations