• IAS Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions

Announcing the IAS Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions Campaign

Announcing the IAS Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions Campaign

The International AIDS Society’s Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign celebrates healthcare provider champions who provide stigma and discrimination free services to key populations affected by HIV whist promoting efforts to increase key populations’ access to services. To date, 46 healthcare champions from 19 countries and regions across the world have been recognized as part of this campaign.

In 2022, PATA was selected by the IAS to implement the campaign in South Africa and Zambia to:

  • Highlight best practices around key population health and establish a community of good practice within clinics
  • Showcase the importance of the client-provider relationship as a key element in delivering HIV prevention, care and treatment
  • Recognise healthcare provider champions who are often overlooked heroes in the lives of many key population individuals

A total of eight nominations were received from adolescents and young people living with HIV as well as caregivers of children living with HIV, who wanted to draw attention to the healthcare provider champion who stands up for them and is always there to welcome, support and provide the services that they need in a way that is friendly.

These are the healthcare provider champions who are #DoingTheRightThing by delivering quality HIV prevention, treatment and care services to children, adolescents and young people living with HIV!

PATA celebrates the nominations received from across South Africa and Zambia. Thank you to these healthcare champions and their nominators, for demonstrating the importance of healthcare providers as the backbone of an effective HIV response.

Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions:

South Africa

Cathrine Kgothatso Ramodipa

Cathrine Kgothatso Ramodipa

Peer Educator, Matsi Clinic (Anova Health Institute), Polokwane, South Africa

Nominated by Mokete Sedutla, Youth Care Club

“She is so passionate about her work, and she loves it so much, and since I met her, she always brings her A-game to work.”

Nonhlanhla Mazaleni

Nonhlanhla Mazaleni

Community Health Worker, Tholulwazi Phakathi, Johannesburg, South Africa

Nominated by Lerato Nkwanyana, Tholulwazi Phakathi

“Before I met her, I did not understand what was wrong with me. I had no support; I didn’t understand how to live positively with HIV.”

Rebecca Phasha

Rebecca Phasha

Nurse, Johan Heyns Clinic, Vanderbijl Park, South Africa

Nominated by Maditaba Patience Tau, IFASCO

“She is a patient person; she is humble, and she communicates endlessly with young people.”

Zambia

Betherida Lukalanga

Betherida Lukalanga

Nurse, Chazanga Clinic, Lusaka, Zambia

Nominated by Ngosa Musonda, Chazanga Clinic

“Whenever I see her, I don’t see a nurse in her but a saviour of many adolescents and young people’s lives as well as a mother of all.”

Cephas Nkandu

Peer Supporter, Pride Community Health Organization, Kafue Lusaka, Zambia

Nominated by Peter Mwila, Pride Community Health Organization

“The reason I would like to nominate this peer supporter is because he is passionate about working with adolescents.”

Monica Mutundo

Monica Mutundo

Clinical Officer General, Ministry of Health Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Nominated by Anonymous, CATS-Community Adherence Treatment Supporter

“She is so welcoming when I’m at the clinic, she always has time to ask how I am doing and how life is.”

Charles Chishala

Charles Chishala

Nurse, Chikupi Rural Health, Kafue, Zambia

Nominated by Lontia Mweemba, PRICHO

“He executes his duties as a professional, understanding and welcoming nurse who is knowledgeable about adolescents’ affairs, especially for adolescents living with HIV and takes each adolescent as unique as they are with their health-related matters.”

PATA’s Me and My Health Provider Campaign

Building on the success of the IAS Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign, PATA is expanding the campaign beyond Zambia and South Africa.

We want to celebrate nurses, counsellors, doctors, social workers, pharmacists, and other frontline health providers working in health facilities who are #DoingTheRightThing by delivering quality HIV prevention, treatment and care services to children, adolescents and young people living with HIV.

We have invited caregivers of children living with HIV as well as adolescents and young people living with HIV in Cameroon, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe to nominate a health provider who stands out, is always there to welcome, support, and provide friendly services and hence is a health provider champion!

The Me and My Health Provider campaign was open from 8 August-5 September 2022. The champions will be announced at the PATA 2022 Summit.

However, health providers are champions beyond this campaign. We are always looking for stories and insights into how health providers are #DoingTheRightThing. Share a story about yourself or a health provider that inspires you and select stories will be featured on PATA’s website and beyond.

Share your health provider story

We invite you to share this campaign within your communities, contact us if you need more information and materials to support dissemination.

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