Organization: MACRO
Region: Africa
Nationality: Malawi
Country: Malawi
Interests & expertise: HIV prevention
Profession or occupation: Advocate/activist
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
When I started working and advocating for the rights of key populations, such as sex workers, I was alarmed by the higher HIV prevalence rate of sex workers in our country, Malawi. It was 62.7% compared with that of the general population at 10.2%. I realized that for countries and communities to reduce transmission of HIV, key populations should never be left behind, but rather, their health needs should be a priority focus area. I noted some barriers that affected key populations in accessing health needs, such as poor attitude of healthcare workers, distances to public health facilities, and stigma and discrimination. Through my efforts, I managed to address some of these challenges.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
My main goal is to see key populations receiving stigma-free services in all public facilities and all barriers (poor attitude of healthcare workers, stigma and discrimination, and distances to facilities) that hinder key populations from accessing health services being removed.