April 4, 2024
We are pleased to announce our 13th class of the flagship AVAC Advocacy Fellows Program for 2024-2025! This group of seven advocates will participate in an 18-month program that supports their advocacy efforts, invests in the further development of their skills, shapes the agenda for HIV prevention research, and influences how quickly new interventions move into policy and programs in their communities and countries.
These Fellows were selected from a pool of 200+ applicants from seventeen countries to pursue evidence-based advocacy on a range of issues related to HIV prevention. The 2024/25 Advocacy Fellows and their host organizations include:
- Pamela Fuzile, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, South Africa
- Samuel Anyula Gorigo, HOYMAS, Kenya
- Bahati Thomas Haule, DARE Organization, Tanzania
- Ezra Meme, We Rise and Prosper, Uganda
- Rhoda Msiska, Copper Rose Zambia, Zambia
- Elina Mwasinga, Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS, Malawi
- Mokone Rantsoeleba, Phelisanang Bophelong HIV/AIDS Network, Lesotho
Congratulations to our new class of Fellows and thank you to all the applicants and their proposed host organizations for the time and effort put into the application process, and to the independent review committee of advocates, scientists and former Fellows and hosts who guided our decision-making.
About AVAC’s Advocacy Fellows Program
Achieving successful HIV prevention relies on programs and research shaped by communities and grounded by their needs and priorities. Skilled and informed community advocates drive this process. AVAC’s Advocacy Fellows Program expands and strengthens the capacity of civil society advocates and organizations to monitor, support and help shape HIV prevention research and rapid rollout of new effective interventions in low- and middle-income countries facing substantial HIV burdens.
The program provides intensive support to emerging and mid-career advocates to execute advocacy projects addressing locally identified gaps and priorities. Fellows receive comprehensive training, financial backing, and technical assistance to strategize and execute a targeted 18-month project hosted by an organization within their country.
In its 15-year history, nearly 100 advocates working with 70+ partner organizations across 15 countries have participated in the program. They have influenced policy, championed community perspectives, strengthened healthcare systems, demystified HIV prevention research, advocated for fairness and transparency on local, regional, and global scales and now lead many national and regional organizations. Discover more about the program’s impact here. And view video reflections from Alumni Fellows both here and here.