Bonniface Oryokot

What inspires you to work in the HIV field?

In 2003, I lost my sister to AIDS – probably a common experience among many Ugandan families. This left a permanent scar in my life as I never even got to bury her since I was in school, very far away. The pain only got worse every time our mother recounted her experience with my sister in the final days. I took a decision to make my contribution towards ensuring an HIV-free generation. Indeed, in 2014, God blessed me with an opportunity to work for The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) as a paediatric HIV and AIDS focal person. With many children and adolescents living with HIV being really sick, I became even more motivated to work toward changing their story. Currently, I am working to change the story for children and adolescents living with HIV in the Teso region. 

What are your goals as an IAS change maker?

I am presently leading a drive toward improving viral load suppression among the children and adolescents in the Soroti region, northeastern Uganda. Building on the firm foundation set through the implementation of Operation Triple Zero with funding from the IAS, the model is being scaled up in the region. In addition, I will continue to work with the national technical working group on paediatric care and treatment to contribute to Uganda’s efforts to achieve epidemic control. In addition, I am working on manuscripts on paediatric HIV care and treatment. Further, I am also mentoring young researchers who are interested in paediatric HIV and AIDS research to build capacity in implementation research in this area. Finally, I will continue advocating for improving paediatric HIV care and support across the globe. In addition, I will continue to mobilize resources aimed at closing current gaps in the area of paediatric implementation science research, care and support.