INTERVIEW
IAS targets HIV’s ‘Achilles heel’
Me & My Healthcare Provider promotes stigma-free HIV care in Asia.
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part from vaccines and cures, the stigma attached to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) world is its ‘Achilles heel’ or vulnerable point, International AIDS Society (IAS) President Adeeba Kamarulzaman observed. This is why Me & My Healthcare Provider campaigned to promote the best practices in healthcare service delivery by recognising frontline healthcare workers who deliver quality HIV prevention, treatment, and care—often in the face of discriminatory laws and regulations, as well as stigmatising traditions and beliefs. The International AIDS Society (IAS) recently announced its partnership with Gilead Sciences to expand the Me & My Healthcare Provider campaign to three locations in Asia: Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. They will also renew the programme in Brazil and Mexico. Healthcare Asia had a conversation with Kamarulzaman and Gilead Sciences Asia 5 Vice President and General Manager Andrew Hexter to know more about what the Me & My Healthcare Provider entails. What factors led to the inception and the formation of the Me & My Healthcare Provider campaign? Kamarulzaman: The campaign was launched in 2016 and champions celebrated on the Global Village main stage of the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016) in Durban. That predated me becoming president of the IAS. I think it’s always been known that stigma within healthcare settings, even after 40 years of the HIV pandemic, remains a big problem. The impact that it can have on people living with HIV or people at risk is huge. So, the idea was to highlight best practices and get people within the healthcare settings who show good examples. Hexter: Since IAS commenced the programme, Gilead has been a huge fan and watched with excitement, so the opportunity for us to participate is exciting. Working together with IAS to reduce stigma, highlight the incredible work of healthcare professionals in different countries worldwide, and highlight best practices is crucial to how Gilead sees the totality of HIV prevention and treatment. Working, partnering, and collaborating is a natural extension of the great work that IAS already started with this programme. How will the Me & My Healthcare Provider campaign help alleviate the stigma of HIV, particularly in Asia? Kamarulzaman: The Asian program sponsored by Gilead is just beginning. Previously, the focus has been on a few countries in Africa, Latin and America. In Asia, except in Indonesia, the campaign hasn’t taken off yet. What we do know is a concerted effort in raising awareness and giving healthcare providers the right information to bring either people living with HIV or 24
HEALTHCARE ASIA
Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President, International AIDS Society (IAS)
Working together to reduce stigma and highlight best practices is crucial to how we see the totality of HIV prevention and treatment
members of the key population in contact with medical professionals at a very early stage. Some of my students, for instance, have not met anyone living with HIV. When they get exposed and get to meet and talk to a person living with HIV, that’s often quite powerful. Hexter: Healthcare professionals like Professor Kamarulzaman and other healthcare professionals throughout Asia play an important role in stigma-free services. There are a lot of positive stories we can uncover or shine a light on and share with others. We’re doing that through the program with community-based organisations (CBOs) that we’ve been heavily involved with over the ten years that we’ve been in Asia. There are a lot of opportunities for HCPs to be exposed to and have a positive impact on reducing stigma or stigma-free services. By highlighting positive stories, you end up with these role models and these great stories that can be shared with others. By helping them understand the impact that they can have and getting it shared, you get a multiplier effect in stigma-free healthcare services. It’s even more important now during the COVID-19 pandemic because HIV treatment and services have been hampered. I think it’s a perfect time to generate that noise about how important it is for stigma-free services and the great work HCPs are doing.
