Lima, Peru – Gastón Devisich, an advocate, activist, educator, trainer, and researcher who has exemplified commitment to service above self, particularly in efforts to involve gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in scientific research and HIV prevention advocacy is the recipient of the 2024 Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy. Devisch works as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Fundación Huésped, in Argentina.
Devisich accepted the award during a plenary session October 9, 2024 at the 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference in Lima, Peru. He has been recognized as a catalyst for emerging community-driven demands that could lead to the design of new interventions, as well as for consistently reporting back to the community with scientific updates and promoting their meaningful participation in HIV research and development.
This year the Falobi Award committee chose to focus on Latin America as the region hosts the HIVR4P conference. Despite significant progress to reduce new infections and expand access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), Latin America still experiences persistent barriers, especially among key populations, including gay men, transgender people, and sex workers. Most new infections in the region were concentrated in these groups. The award committee hopes to shed light on this and on the stigma, discrimination, and legal barriers that continue to hinder access to HIV prevention and treatment services for vulnerable populations in Latin America.
“I was deeply moved when I learned that I was the 2024 recipient of the Omololu Falobi Award because it is an acknowledgment from my peers,” Gastón Devisich said. “Having grown up surrounded by trauma and rejection, I spent much of my childhood feeling unseen and unheard. I often felt invisible or had to remain unnoticed in order to survive. The HIV community was the first place where I truly felt like I belonged, which is why putting my experience to the service of others—hoping to make their journeys easier—has always been my main motivation to give back.”
“Since joining Fundación Huésped in 2019 and working full-time in HIV R&D, my primary goal has been to create opportunities for people who lack access to prevention tools: either because they are denied access to the combination prevention strategies we currently have, or because those strategies simply don’t meet their specific needs, highlighting the ongoing need for an HIV vaccine,” Devisich added.
The award was presented by Luciana Kamel, Community Engagement Coordinator at Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas/ Fundação Oswaldo Cruz in Rio de Janeiro.
“I met Gaston during the implementation of the Mosaico vaccine study in the region. He has always been highly engaged and attentive to issues of access, equity, gender minorities and social justice, not only in terms of HIV prevention but also in treatment, and more recently, in cure. I can’t imagine a better person to receive this award and to represent advocacy in Latin America on the global stage,” Kamel said.
Devisch’s nominators highlighted his service to the community, citing contributions to the Argentinean Network of Young People and Adolescents Living with HIV (RAJAP), representation of Latin America and the Caribbean in the NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS Coordinating Board, and pioneering efforts in vaccine advocacy and in creating a South American regional consortium for cure advocacy. ]“Gastón is passionate about serving the Latin American community! He is raising the research profile of Latin America to make sure those communities are not left behind,” said one nominator.
Eighteen years ago this week, Omololu Falobi was killed and since 2008, the Omololu Falobi award has been presented as ongoing legacy that recognizes his commitment and lasting contributions to HIV prevention research advocacy and honors those who follow in his footsteps. Manju Chatani-Gada, Director of Partnerships & Capacity Strengthening at AVAC and one of the co-founders of this award said, “Omololu was a visionary leader, journalist and HIV prevention activist, who accomplished much in his too-short life. He dedicated himself to HIV prevention research advocacy in Nigeria, Africa and worldwide and to championing the voices of civil society. As we honor Gastón’s work, we continue to honor Omololu’s work. He would be proud of Gastón’s passionate advocacy and commitment to linking science and communities.”
The Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy was established in 2008 by the African Microbicides Advocacy Group (AMAG) and partner organizations to recognize advocates’ contribution to the HIV prevention research field through advocacy. Today the award is presented by AMAG, AVAC, Journalists Against AIDS Nigeria (JAAIDS), the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicides Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) and The Choice Agenda.
Learn more about Devisich’s work and that of Fundación Huésped and read more about the Omololu Falobi Award and past recipients here.
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