HIV infection is a global health emergency. Funding has recently become available to begin scale-up of HIV treatment in resource poor countries. Few data exist however, on barriers to HIV care in the developing world or how best to identify and engage HIV-infected patients in care in these settings - issues which are critical to successful implementation of treatment programs. Louise Ivers, MD is a 3rd year Infectious Disease fellow at Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals in Boston. She has had extensive clinical training in tropical medicine and infectious diseases, and is currently a research fellow in the Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities, working on an HIV treatment scale-up project in rural Haiti. This revised K23 proposal, entitled 'Identifying HIV and Related Stigma in Rural Haiti' has three specific aims: (1) To determine predictors of late presentation for HIV testing and care in rural Haiti.(2) To measure HIV-related stigma and to determine barriers to uptake of HIV testing and care in rural Haiti.(3) To evaluate the effectiveness of a routine HIV testing program in rural Haiti. Drs. Kenneth Freedberg and Paul Farmer will serve as mentor and co-mentor for this proposal. Both are senior faculty members at Harvard Medical School (HMS), with extensive HIV-related clinical research experience. HMS, by virtue of its rich multidisciplinary research environment and 20-year collaboration with the proposed research site in Haiti, provides an excellent environment for the candidate's professional development. Dr. Ivers' long-term career goal is to become an independent clinical investigator with emphasis on the evaluation of complex health interventions, such as HIV treatment, in resource poor settings. During the award period, she will develop advanced skills in epidemiologic and quantitative methods through didactic coursework leading to a Masters in Public Health degree at Harvard School of Public Health, and will greatly benefit from the combined expertise of renowned mentors and a deep institutional commitment to her success. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23AI063998-02
Application #
7110319
Study Section
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Review Committee (AIDS)
Program Officer
Williams, Carolyn F
Project Start
2005-08-15
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$133,520
Indirect Cost
Name
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
030811269
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Ivers, Louise C; Jerome, Jean-Gregory; Cullen, Kimberly A et al. (2011) Task-shifting in HIV care: a case study of nurse-centered community-based care in Rural Haiti. PLoS One 6:e19276
Ivers, Louise C; Cullen, Kimberly A (2011) Food insecurity: special considerations for women. Am J Clin Nutr 94:1740S-1744S
Ivers, Louise C (2011) Strengthening the health system while investing in Haiti. Am J Public Health 101:970-1
Hart, Jessica E; Jeon, Christie Y; Ivers, Louise C et al. (2010) Effect of directly observed therapy for highly active antiretroviral therapy on virologic, immunologic, and adherence outcomes: a meta-analysis and systematic review. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 54:167-79
Jerome, Gregory; Ivers, Louise C (2010) Community health workers in health systems strengthening: a qualitative evaluation from rural Haiti. AIDS 24 Suppl 1:S67-72
Cullen, Kimberly A; Ivers, Louise C (2010) Human rights assessment in Parc Jean Marie Vincent, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Health Hum Rights 12:61-72
Ivers, Louise C; Cullen, Kimberly (2010) Coordinating and prioritizing aid in Haiti. N Engl J Med 362:e21
Ivers, Louise C; Mukherjee, Joia S; Leandre, Fernet R et al. (2010) South-south collaboration in scale-up of HIV care: building human capacity for care. AIDS 24 Suppl 1:S73-8
Ivers, Louise C; Chang, Yuchiao; Gregory Jerome, J et al. (2010) Food assistance is associated with improved body mass index, food security and attendance at clinic in an HIV program in central Haiti: a prospective observational cohort study. AIDS Res Ther 7:33
Ivers, Louise C; Cullen, Kimberly A; Freedberg, Kenneth A et al. (2009) HIV/AIDS, undernutrition, and food insecurity. Clin Infect Dis 49:1096-102

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