Lilian Benjamin Mwakyosi, MD

Lilian is a youth advocate who for the past four years has volunteered at TAYOA (Tanzania Youth Alliance) as a peer educator and counselor for a national health hotline, providing information, counseling and referral services to clients. Lilian also served as a differentiated care youth champion, advocating for different ART delivery models for young people living with HIV in Tanzania. She strongly believes in the meaningful engagement of young people to bring out positive change including preventing new HIV transmission and ending AIDS. Lilian attained her medical degree in 2017 at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University based in Dar es Salaam.

Advocacy Accomplishments for the Year
As the first AVAC Fellow in Tanzania, Lilian blazed a trail successfully pushing for the transition of PrEP from demonstration to scale-up, as reflected in COP 2019. She secured a seat in the PrEP and HIV self-test technical working group, where she advocated for the amendment of The Tanzania HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act 2018 to pave the way for HIV self-testing and a lower age of consent for HIV testing from 18 to 15 years. Additionally, Lilian’s social media presence and her direct training of hotline operators helped introduce PrEP and self-testing to scores of uninitiated Tanzanians.

In Her Own Words
“I feel like a widely knowledgeable advocate now. There were things I never knew in terms of evidence and research-based information, and different advocacy tactics. So, this year has been a series of practical lessons to improve my knowledge base and applying different advocacy tactics.”

Materials

• Rolling Out PrEP and HIVST in Tanzania: Opportunities and Challenges
• Policy Brief — Expanding HIV Prevention Options for Young Women: The time is now for PrEP and HIV self-testing

Media

• Dapivirine Ring Gives Back the Power to Young Women — aidsfronds
• Why Tanzania Should Consider New Options for HIV Prevention — The Citizen (Tanzania)
• Video: A New Method for HIV Prevention — W-News (Tanzania)
• The Ring that Prevents HIV in Women — Mwananchi (Swahili)
• Obstacles to COVID-19 Control in East Africa — The Lancet
• COMPASS Reverse Congressional Delegation Advocates: Impress, inspire, inform and invigorate — CHANGE
• Advocating for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Across Africa — Repros Fight Back
• HIV in Africa: How the global gag rule affects efforts to combat the disease — PBS To the Contrary
• Advocating for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Across Africa — rePROs Fight Back
• Prevention Advocates Take Unprecedented Action to Save Choices for People at Risk of HIV — AIDS Foundation of Chicago
• Vaginal Rings, Films, Inserts or Gels – It’s all about choice — aidsmap
• Sexual Health & HIV Policy EuroBulletin – December 2018
• HIV Prevention Pill ‘Set Up to Fail’ in Some African Countries — Africa Portal
• HIV Activists Take to the Stage at ‘Research 4 Prevention’ Opening to Demand Continued Funding of Wider Prevention Research Agenda — TheBody.com
• Advocacy-for-Cure Academy — IAS Society
• Uzazi Wa Mpango Hauchangii Ongezeko Maambukizi Vvu — Habari Leo
• TNW+: Wasaidieni Wasichana Waepuke Virusi Vya Ukimwi — Swahili Hub