Silvia Okoth

What inspires you to work in the HIV field?

What inspires me to work in the HIV field is my own journey growing up in informal communities where girls had no access to basic sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information or services. As a young girl, I faced violence, early pregnancy and many unanswered questions about my own health. I watched my peers die quietly due to AIDS and unsafe abortions because care, safety and accurate information were far beyond our reach. Those experiences built my understanding of the systemic barriers that shape girls’ vulnerability, stigma, poverty, exclusion and the absence of youth-friendly services. 

They also shaped my determination to change this reality. Today, I am driven to design peer-led, rights-based HIV and SRH models that meet young women where they are, reduce preventable harm and strengthen linkages to respectful clinical care. The resilience of girls in these communities continues to motivate me, and it fuels my commitment to ensuring that they are finally seen, heard and reached by the health systems that once overlooked them.

What are your goals as an IAS change maker?

As an IAS change maker, my goal is to advance youth-led, differentiated HIV and SRH service delivery models that address the structural barriers faced by girls in high-vulnerability environments. I aim to generate evidence that can inform policy, strengthen integration with health systems and support the scale up of peer-led approaches. I hope to leverage IAS mentorship and networks to refine implementation strategies, improve programmes and build partnerships that sustain community-driven innovations. My broader goal is to influence decision-making spaces so that young women’s lived experiences shape programmes, guidelines and funding priorities globally.