Introducing the Communities Delegation
The Communities Living with HIV and Affected by Tuberculosis and Malaria Delegation (Communities Delegation) of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), is made up of a group of up to forty individuals living with HIV, and affected by TB and malaria working on Global Fund related issues from around the world.
The Communities Delegation works closely on policy and advocacy at Committee and Board levels, and is committed to being accountable to the constituencies that it represents. The work of the Communities Delegation is coordinated by a leadership consisting of the Board Member and Alternate Board Member; who formally represent the Delegation to the Global Fund Board.
The vision, mission and work of the Communities Delegation is underpinned by three principles:
- The right of people living with HIV and affected by TB and malaria to be meaningfully involved at all levels of policy and programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in responses to the three diseases.
- That all people infected and affected by the three diseases regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition, occupation, status at birth, physical, mental and sensory disability or any other health challenges, drug use, life choices, civil, political, social or other status have the right to a voice in responses to the three diseases, and access to quality prevention, treatment, care and support.
- Respect for the value of all human life, the dignity and equality of all people, and the elimination of all human suffering.
Our handbook
The Communities Delegation has released its Policy and Procedures Handbook. You can find it by using the link below.
Leadership of the Communities Delegation
Javier Hourcade Bellocq
Board Member
Organisation
LAC Key Correspondents Team
Country of residence
Argentina
Mr Javier Hourcade Bellocq has an extensive career as a communicator in health rights and HIV advocacy. Since his HIV-positive diagnosis in 1988, he has worked with civil society, key populations, and communities living with HIV, TB and Viral Hepatitis in Latin America and beyond. From the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), he was involved in creating the Global Fund and has since been engaged in different roles in the partnership. Over the past two decades, he has previously served as Communication Focal Point and Board Member for the Communities Delegation and civil society representative in the LAC delegation. He has also provided technical support to the Fund’s national and regional projects, particularly those led by communities. Back at the Communities Delegation since 2021, he currently leads a community journalism initiative called the LAC Key Correspondent Team and the COVID and HIV platform, based in Peru and Argentina, respectively.
Anil StClair Padavata
Alternate Board Member
Organisation
Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE)
Country of residence
South Africa
Anil is currently the Health Programs Lead at Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), where he brings over 15 years of extensive experience in HIV, gender equality, access to health care, and human rights.
Throughout his career, Anil has worked with several notable organizations, including the Commission for Gender Equality, the AIDS Law Project, the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, and Gender DynamiX. In addition to his impactful work, Anil is also a co-author of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society’s guidelines on gender-affirming healthcare for South Africa, demonstrating his commitment to advancing inclusive and equitable healthcare practices.
Maurine Murenga
Constituency Focal Point
Organisation
Lean on Me Foundation
Country of residence
Kenya
Maurine Murenga joined the Communities Delegation in 2013. She has engaged with the fund in different capacities: as a member of the Community, Rights and Gender Advisory Committee, a member of the Audit and Finance Committee, an Alternate Board Member and a Board Member. Maurine has also been actively engaged in Resource Mobilization for the Fund through Global Fund Advocates’ Network’s “Here I am Campaign” and Speakers Bureau. Maurine is a passionate advocate for gender equity with a strong focus on children and women in all their diversity.
People of the Communities Delegation
Abdulai Abubakarr Sesay
Organisation
Civil Society Movement Against Tuberculosis (CISMAT) Sierra Leone
Country of residence
Sierra Leone
Abdulai Abubakarr Sesay became a Global TB/Health Activist when he contacted Tuberculosis (TB) in late 2008. He went through a devastating period that rendered him homeless and isolated. Abdulai survived from TB in 2009 and then decided to mobilize his former TB colleagues to form a network of TB patients and Civil Society to advocate and champion TB and TB/HIV related issues both at national and Global level. He is currently the Founder and Team Leader of the Civil Society Movement Against Tuberculosis Sierra Leone (CISMAT-SL) a network that is advocating for the rights of thousands of TB and TB/HIV patients, with the bid to advance quality access to TB, and TB/HIV treatments and services for TB, TB/HIV patients and other Key and Vulnerable Population (KVP).
Abdulkadir Ibrahim
Organisation
Network of people Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN)
Country of residence
Nigeria
Abdulkadir Ibrahim is human rights activist, a young person, openly living with HIV. He possesses strong leadership skills in building a network for effective gender-sensitive targeted TB/HIV treatment, care and prevention services for PLHIV and discrimination against Key Populations. He is also a strong advocate for income generating activities for women, youth and other vulnerable groups.
Ali Raza Khan
Organisation
Youth LEAD
Country of residence
Pakistan
Mr Ali Raza Khan is a young PLHIV activist from Multan, Pakistan, working for his community since 2015, focused on HIV prevention, SRHR and peace. Over the past few years, he has worked with numerous local, national & international organisations for the rights of young PLHIVs and KPs. He is currently leading “Hi Voices”, an initiative in Pakistan focusing on young vulnerable key populations and PLHIVs. Ali is a laureate of the HIV HERO Award 2021 by APCOM for his effort and work around HIV and PLHIVs. A new member from the Communities Delegation, at only 29 years old, Ali is the delegation’s first youth member to serve in the leadership and has consistently shown a keen interest to learn and an immense commitment to amplifying the voices of communities at the Global Fund Board.
Angeline Chiwetani
Organisation
Widows Fountain of Life (WFoL)
Country of residence
Zimbabwe
A development practitioner, founder and Director of a community based organization (WfoL) working with widows and vulnerable children as we operate in a world that’s facing lots of health threats. An HIV & AIDS activist based in Zimbabwe, a 2004 Letten Foundation International Award Winner on Access to treatment ARV-advocacy as well as leadership role on stigma reduction, Angeline is a widow and mother of two sons.
Aniedi Emah Akpan
Organisation
Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network Nigeria
Country of residence
Nigeria
Aniedi is a drug user and advocate for community systems approach to health and rights-based services for people who use drugs. He is the team lead of Drug Free and Preventive Healthcare Organization (DAPHO, a sub-national drug user organization, and the Chairperson of the Nigeria Drug User Network.
Anton Basenko
Organisation
Alliance for Public Health, INPUD, EKHN
Country of residence
Ukraine
Anton holds a master’s degree in international economy (Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University) and, as an IDU, OST and PLHIV, since 2010 started to work in HIV-service and IDUs/OST advocacy field in local and national NGOs in Ukraine. Author and co-author of different publications for communities and professionals of NGOs, in November 2015 he became a Board member of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), having in January 2016 joined the Communities Delegation. Anton is a global advocate of access to hep C treatment and harm reduction services among PWID, and loves travelling as well as meeting new people.
Charles Siwela
Organisation
Youth Engage
Country of residence
Zimbabwe
An HIV/AIDS and SRH Advocate since 2005, Charles joined the Communities Delegation in, and has up to date attended seven Global Fund Board meetings. A former Alternate Member of the Zimbabwe Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund (CCM), Charles is currently the National Director at Youth Engage, a voluntary membership network for young people between the ages of 15 and 35 years living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe, and his work focuses on mobilizing youth to advocate for
Denis Godlevskiy
Denis Godlevskiy is a dedicated advocate for health rights and access to treatment, with a focus on HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and broader public health issues. His personal experience with TB at the age of 16, as well as his work with affected communities, has shaped his career in advocacy and public health. Since 2007, Denis has been committed to expanding access to TB treatment and diagnostics, addressing intellectual property and pricing barriers, and strengthening healthcare systems in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). Denis has held key roles in the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC EECA) as an advocacy manager and later as a regional coordinator. He also served as the Advocacy Director for the European Bureau of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, where he coordinated advocacy activities across seven European countries. His work has consistently focused on mobilizing communities, improving procurement processes, and ensuring accountability in health service delivery.
In addition to his role at ITPC EECA, Denis has frequently served as a consultant on civil society engagement in high-level processes, for various UN agencies and has provided various technical assistance to projects funded by the Global Fund at both regional and national levels. His expertise in building bridges between communities and decision-makers has strengthened civil society’s role in shaping health policies and ensuring transparency.
Enama Jean Paul
Organisation
Humanity First Cameroon+
Country of residence
Cameroon
Jean Paul is a Cameroonian who is involved in the fight against HIV within key populations since about ten years. He envisions a world free from stigma and discrimination and where sexual minorities will have equal access to care and will live peacefully.
Firoz Khan
Organisation
National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India (NCPI+), Network of People with alternate sexuality living with HIV/AIDS (NIPASHA), Love Life Society
Country of residence
India
Firoz Khan is a PLHIV activist from India with more than 17 years on various programmes like, Prevention, Care and Support, and Human Rights. He is part of several movements such as access to ART treatment and diagnosis, HIV Legislation, Rights of Sexual Minority and activity involved in historical Indian Transgender case in Supreme Court for gender recognition. He has been actively in HIV response in India and contributed immensely for various policy formation on health, Human Rights and issues related to PLHIV and Sexual minorities.
Ibrahim Umoru
Organisation
Good Health Educators Initiative, ACT-Nigeria
Country of residence
Nigeria
Currently the Executive Director of Good Health Educators Initiative and National Coordinator of ACT-Nigeria, Ibrahim is a treatment advocate, activist and teacher committed to seeing the patient community come out strong with a fulfilling life.
Ida Savadogo
Ida Savadogo is a communication specialist from Burkina Faso (West Africa). She holds a master’s degree in communication and a Master of Arts specializing in English (applied linguistics). She has rich working experience in international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) before joining the RAME as coordinator of the Global Fund Francophone Africa CRG Learning Hub. As such, she works with civil society, key populations, and communities living with HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the Francophone Africa region and beyond. She is the Coordinator of TB Women for Francophone Africa. Ida is passionate about public relations and communication. She is a great activist of the fight against the disease, especially HIV / AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Louis Da Gama
Organisation
Princess of Africa Foundation, South Africa
Country of residence
Portugal
Louis is a malaria advocate focusing on community empowerment and financial resources to improve access to essential health services sustainably. He is an outspoken advocate for policy change to ensure impact via effective implemen
Lulu Ayoub Nyenzi
Lulu Ayoub Nyenzi is a young KP and highly motivated health rights activist. Miss Lulu is the National Coordinator of the Community-led initiative for Women and a key population-led network that is dedicated to serving key populations in all their diversities. Miss Lulu started to engage in key population health rights activism at a young age in 2009 and has been engaged in various platforms both National, Regional, and Global platforms where decisions and discussion about the health agenda are discussed. From 2018 -2020 she served as an alternate member and an oversight committee member representing key populations living with HIV at the CCM (TNCM). Miss Lulu was recently appointed to serve in the Interim Movement Committee on Abortion Rights in East Africa under the Global Fund for Women. She has also served as a National Advocacy Officer for HIV, TB, Malaria, and SRHR under ARASA. She has also served as a member of the steering committee of EASWA, a Non-state Actors for Health (NSA), and among the founders of the KVP consortium Tanzania.
Lyubov Vorontsova
Lyubov Vorontsova is a feminist and human rights activist from Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Lyubov has been living with HIV for 20 years and has been actively involved in the community, openly interacting with the media and the public. Her experience includes more than 12 years of fruitful work at various levels in Global Fund projects, from being a peer consultant to coordinator of national and regional community initiatives. Now Lyubov’s work is focused on promoting the rights of women living with HIV in EECA, she is part of the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS. Lyubov is part of the steering committee ICW (The International Community of Women Living with HIV).
Manoj Pardeshi
Organisation
National Coalition of People Living With HIV in India (NCPI+)
Country of residence
India
Manoj has worked on various aspects of the HIV response, including conceptualizing, designing, financial oversights, and programme management. Through his involvement and experience as a peer, he has gained an in-depth understanding of social, political, and economic forces that affect the lives of PLHIV and technical understanding of treatment, care and support programming that can be developed to address these challenges.
Michael Gwaba
Organisation
Section 13
Country of residence
Zambia
Michael Gwaba is a Zambian Health activist who is serving his second term on the Communities Delegation of the GFATM. He is passionate about the equitable distribution of resources for HIV programming to intended beneficiaries and is part of the country Global Fund funding request writing team. He is also Acting Executive Director of a Zambian CSO called Section 13.
Mick Matthews
Organisation
NSWP
Country of residence
France
Mick has represented more than one constituency in the Delegation on and off since the second Board Meeting, and also facilitated the global Civil Society consultation on setting up the Global Fund during the Transitional Working Group when the Fund was based in Brussels. Outspoken and direct, he has a very strong focus on key populations as the most important constituency in the Global Fund.
Niwagaba Nicholas
Organisation
UNYPA
Country of residence
Uganda
Nicholas is the Executive Director of Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS (UNYPA) He is a Ugandan Health advocate who advocates to improve the quality of life for young people living with HIV in Uganda. For the past 8 years, Nicholas has led a youth movement to do advocacy in order to increase access to quality SRHR/HIV services/information and to create an enabling environment for young people living with HIV.
Olivia Ngou
Organisation
Impact Santé Afrique
Country of residence
Cameroon
Olivia Ngou is the founder and Executive Director of Impact Santé Afrique, an African based NGO. Prior to launching ISA, she worked for 10 years for Malaria No More where she led the Cameroon and Africa programs helping to keep malaria high on the agenda. Olivia holds a master degree in Public Health and is committed to ensuring communities are included in malaria and health programs as equal partners. She has co-founded and established the first Global Network of Civil Society for Malaria Elimination (CS4ME) which she now coordinates with more than 300 members from 43 countries.
Priscilla Ama Addo
Priscilla Ama Addo is a dedicated health advocate with a degree in Public Relations from the University of Media, Arts and Communication in Ghana. Based in Accra, she currently serves as the Communications & Advocacy Graduate Trainee at Y+ Global, an international NGO focused on promoting the priorities of young people living and affected by HIV. Priscilla also works with Hope for Future Generations, a non-profit organization in Ghana that serves women, girls, children, and other vulnerable communities.
Priscilla has been instrumental in leading and supporting numerous health projects and advocacy campaigns. As the President of Young Health Advocates Ghana, a youth-led network for young people living with HIV, she has actively contributed to efforts aimed at influencing policies, ending HIV-related deaths, and reducing stigma in Ghana. Her passion lies in giving a voice to the unheard, with a particular focus on empowering young women. Priscilla aspires to continue making a positive impact through advocacy.
Shreehari Acharya
Organisation
American Refugee Committee (Regional Malaria CSO platform, GMS)
Country of residence
Thailand
Shreehari Acharya is a self-motivated public health professional with more than 10 years of experience in public health field. His current work primarily focusses on improving access to health services in the remote and poor communities through Malaria prevention and elimination activities. He is also a passionate advocate for community system strengthening and health equity.
Thoko Nkhoma
Organisation
Community Transformation (FACT)
Country of residence
Malawi
Thokozile (Thoko) Phiri-Nkhoma is an international HIV-TB activist from Malawi and the Executive Director of Facilitators of Community Transformation (FACT). She is a leading voice in calls to invest in the fight against TB, one of the principle causes of death among people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. Thoko is also Board member of the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board representing affected community constituency, after joining as a community representative on the new Diagnostics Working Group in 2010. She is also part of a number of regional and global organizations working on TB and public health.
Valeriia Rachynska
Valeriia Rachynska started her work in the NGO sector back in 2012 helping people vulnerable to HIV. Valeriia, who holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and is Currently PhD student (Law is a former European Delegate in the NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS PCB; Former Co-Chair and Board Member of the Global Network of People Living with HIV; a Member of the WHO Advisory Group of Women Living with HIV and former staff of UNHCR Ukraine. She is an award winner of the World Without AIDS Award. Since 2022, Valeriia has served as Director of the Human Rights, Gender and Communities Development Department of the Charitable Organization “100%LIFE”. During the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Valeriia joined other Civil Society advocates to help with upholding and protecting human rights and also coordinated the Food for Life project where they delivered ART, TB medications, food for PLWH and prisoners across the front line and documented human rights violation in prisons on Non-government Controlled Areas of Ukraine. Valeriia has also worked to promote the legislative changes initiated by the key populations with a focus on coordination of advocacy efforts in the decriminalization of sex work, HIV transmission, use of narcotic drugs; introduction of civil partnership for same-sex couples, etc.
Who we are and what we stand for
The Communities Delegation has integrity and values and does not compromise; we put people first and foremost. We are bold in our ambitions with a unity of purpose, never intimidated, not giving up or not giving into undue pressure. The Delegation is open, transparent and accountable. We stand out because we are living with and affected by the diseases and bring a human face to the reality of HIV, TB and malaria.
Other Board Delegations, and the Global Fund leadership, listen when we speak. We are at the forefront of advocacy, resource mobilisation and committed to human rights in Global Fund programmes. We engage with our communities, and influence decisions with the ultimate aim to provide the best care and treatment for the three diseases, and to support communities to avoid infection. We say and we do, and it is always about real people and their challenges. The platform that the Delegation has created allows us to use our expertise and bring our experience to the table in decisions about the money that shapes our lives.
Goal, vision and mission
The goal of the Communities Delegation is to ensure that our participation on the Global Fund results in universal access to quality prevention, treatment, care and support for communities living with and affected by the three diseases based on the principles of equity and human rights.
The vision of the Communities Delegation is for all communities living with or affected by HIV, TB, and malaria to have equitable access to quality services and support needed to prevent, treat and/or live with these infections within an environment that respects human rights.
The mission of the Communities Delegation is to ensure the voices and issues of people living with and affected by HIV, TB and malaria influence the deliberations and decisions on investments and programmes of the Global Fund to achieve greater and sustained impact for communities.
Our principles
The vision, mission and work of the Communities Delegation is underpinned by three principles:
- The right of people living with HIV and affected by TB and malaria to be meaningfully involved at all levels of policy and programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in responses to the three diseases.
- That all people infected and affected by the three diseases regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition, occupation, status at birth, physical, mental and sensory disability or any other health challenges, drug use, life choices, civil, political, social or other status have the right to a voice in responses to the three diseases, and access to quality prevention, treatment, care and support.
- Respect for the value of all human life, the dignity and equality of all people, and the elimination of all human suffering.