— The 2024 Me and My Healthcare Provider (MMHCP) Campaign,
supported by Gilead Sciences for the third year running, honours 18
frontline workers providing exemplary inclusive and stigma-free HIV
services in Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, Taiwan and now, Türkiye —
GENEVA, July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IAS – the
International AIDS Society – with local partners, today honoured 18
Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions from Brazil, Hong
Kong, Mexico, Taiwan and Türkiye. This award celebrates the
tireless efforts of frontline healthcare workers who navigate the
challenges of stigma and discrimination to provide good-quality HIV
prevention, treatment and care to key populations.
Despite a decrease in new acquisition rates, stigma and
discrimination remain significant challenges in HIV care. According
to the People Living with HIV Stigma Index 2.0 Global Report
2023[1], while 93.5% of respondents were receiving HIV
treatment, a majority reported experiencing internalized stigma
associated with their HIV status. Additionally, 3% of respondents
faced stigma and discrimination from health facility staff and
26.9% admitted to interrupting or stopping their HIV treatment.
These findings indicate that we are far from achieving the Global
AIDS Strategy's target of reducing stigma and discrimination to
below 10% by 2025 and highlight the need for collaborative action
to establish stigma-free HIV care environments globally.
Since 2021, the Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign,
supported by Gilead Sciences, has been running in Brazil, Hong
Kong, Mexico and
Taiwan in partnership with Gilead
and local partners, GESTOS – HIV, Communication and Gender, Hong
Kong AIDS Foundation, Inspira Cambio A.C, Taiwan AIDS Foundation,
and Pozitif-iz Association Türkiye. This year, marking its third
year of collaboration, the campaign has expanded to Türkiye,
signifying a crucial milestone in the global fight against
HIV-related stigma and discrimination. This expansion underscores
our unwavering commitment to promoting health system sustainability
and advancing people-centred care at a global level.
Driven by key populations affected by HIV, the Me and My
Healthcare Provider Campaign serves as a platform to honour the
contributions of healthcare providers who have positively
influenced their lives. It goes beyond recognizing the dedication
and passion of the frontline workers; it also encourages
replication and empowers others to confront and challenge the
stigma that continues to hinder progress in the HIV response.
This year's Healthcare Provider Champions (in alphabetical
order) are:
- Andréa Carla Almeida de Araújo, CTA/SAE Jaguaribe,
Brazil
- Richardson Barroso, Otávio de
Freitas Hospital in Brazil
- Eline Gomes, Lactário de Caruaru
in Brazil
- Patricia Holanda, UDM de
Cajazeiras in Brazil
- Alex Siu Wing Chan, The Hong
Kong AIDS Foundation in Hong
Kong
- Sze Nga Chan, Queen Elizabeth
Hospital, Hong Kong
- Grace Cy Lui , The Chinese University
of Hong Kong in Hong
Kong
- Bonnie Chun Kwan Wong, Hong Kong Society for HIV Medicine
in Hong Kong
- Carlos Batalla, Positivxs
Morelos in Mexico
- Yuliana Italia López Bueno, Mexican Institute of Social
Security, Mexico
- Hsin-Yen Ku, Taoyuan Hospital in
Taiwan
- Chia-Wen Li, National Cheng Kung
University Hospital in Taiwan
- Yu-wen Tang, National Cheng Kung University Hospital,
Taiwan
- Meng-Tzu Wu, Taiwan Love and
Hope Association in Taiwan
- Ayşe Akaltun, Ankara Çankaya
Municipality Volunteer Counseling and Testing Center, Türkiye
- Metin Sinan Elmalıoğlu, Renk Pharmacy, Türkiye
- Cansu Ecem Kesgin, Querencia Psychology, Türkiye
- Hüsnü Pullukçu, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department
of Infectious Diseases, Türkiye
"Addressing HIV-related stigma is a crucial part of creating a
world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and
individual well-being," Birgit Poniatowski, IAS Executive
Director said. "Our MMHCP Champions and like-minded partners are
paving the way towards that goal. They are fostering equitable
access to care and empowering people living with HIV to seek
support and treatment without fear of discrimination – ensuring
that everyone can enjoy their rights to health and well-being."
"Gilead is committed to creating a healthier world for all
people – no matter where they live or who they are. A key component
to achieving this vision is putting people at the center of
everything we do to help reduce barriers to care, including stigma
and discrimination. We are proud to support this year's MMHCP
Champions who share our vision and work passionately every day to
improve health in their communities," Janet
Dorling, Gilead Senior Vice
President, Intercontinental Region and Gilead Patient Solutions,
said.
To learn more about the Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign,
please visit:
https://www.iasociety.org/me-and-my-healthcare-provider
About the Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign
Established in 2016, the Me and My Healthcare Provider Campaign,
supported by Gilead Sciences, recognizes frontline healthcare
workers who deliver quality HIV prevention, treatment and care and
other services to key populations, often in the face of stigma and
discrimination. The campaign aims to build better understanding of
what motivates these healthcare champions to provide inclusive and
stigma-free services, amplify their stories to encourage
replication, and empower others to confront stigma.
About the IAS
IAS – the International AIDS Society – convenes, educates
and advocates for a world in which HIV no longer presents a threat
to public health and individual well-being. After the emergence of
HIV and AIDS, concerned scientists created the IAS to bring
together experts from across the world and disciplines to promote a
concerted HIV response. Today, the IAS and its members unite
scientists, policy makers and activists to galvanize the scientific
response, build global solidarity and enhance human dignity for all
those living with and affected by HIV. The IAS also hosts the
world's most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS
Conference, the IAS Conference on HIV Science and the HIV Research
for Prevention Conference.
Media contact:
media@iasociety.org
[1] People Living with
HIV Stigma Index 2.0 Global Report 2023
https://www.stigmaindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PLHIV-Stigma-Index-Global-Report-2023-2.pdf
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