Beryl Auma Abade is an advocate with a mission: fast approval and roll out of the Dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV prevention in Kenya. We spoke with her about what is needed for accelerated implementation, and about the importance of this new HIV prevention option for adolescent and young women. Meet Beryl!
“It is important for young girls to have access for the dapivirine ring simply because back in Kenya, young girls, our HIV prevalence is getting higher and higher each and every day. Young women like me, I think we are the next generation so it is important for us to take lead and take part in advocating for the ring.
So in Kenya, girls who are between age 15 to 24 their HIV prevalence is becoming high so meaning there is something we should push harder for the young girls and them seeing me advocating for the ring, I think they will take me as their role model because I think we are fighting for the next generation and I think we are the next generation, yes.
I call upon the government of Kenya to make the dapivirine ring available. We are not going to stop advocating for it to be available and accessible to all the young women and make the next generation HIV free.”
Bella Aubree among new members of the Global Fund Youth Council
Bella Aubree among new members of the Global Fund Youth Council
Last September the Global Fund announced the new members of its Youth Council. Among the new members is Bella Aubree, National Coordinator of Inti Muda Indonesia - the Indonesian young key populations network. Bella Aubree is a young Indonesian trans woman who has dedicated nearly six years to working on sexual and reproductive health, HIV, TB and human rights, focusing on young key populations and people living with HIV.
Eight political parties commit to global health and SRHR at launch of multiparty initiative
Eight political parties commit to global health and SRHR at launch of multiparty initiative
On Friday 4 October, the multiparty initiative on global health and sexual and reproductive health & rights (SRHR) was launched at Nieuwspoort in The Hague. Hosted by the Dutch Global Health Alliance (DGHA) and the SRHR platform, this initiative aims to maintain the Netherlands’ leadership role on global health and SRHR by bringing parliamentarians from a broad range of political parties together to stand up for these issues. After dynamic discussions and reflections, the parliamentarians made their commitment to global health and SRHR official by signing up as members of the new multiparty initiative. Eight political parties have joined the initiative, reaffirming that health not only transcends borders, it also transcends politics.