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UNAIDS Let Communities Lead Banner White

Briefing organized in observance of (1 December)

Date: 5 December 2023
Time: 3 - 5 pm, EST

Location: Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN Headquarters, New York

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This event will bring together representatives from civil society, health practitioners, specialists, and the UN system at the forefront of meeting the unmet needs of those with HIV/AIDS and those who could be potentially exposed. The discussion will highlight the current state of HIV/AIDS globally, key obstacles that have been preventing those who need care from getting it, and how to overcome those obstacles and meet the treatment and prevention needs of those living with or potentially exposed to HIV on an individual, community, state, and global level. Featured speakers will share their experiences and give insight into the session theme.

 for Additional Resources.

Moderator 
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Ugoji Adanma Eze, Esq., PhD, is a distinguished barrister and counter-terrorism expert, prominently contributing to global dialogues at the United Nations in New York. Specializing in US National and Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Privacy, Barrister Eze's influence extends across high-profile events. Notably, she has conceptualized and moderated discussions on critical issues such as COVID-19 recovery, climate resilience, and the intersection of food insecurity and Artificial Intelligence.

Her contributions transcend legal expertise; Barrister Eze is an author, addressing topics from combating anti-Semitism to refugees' rights and autism awareness in Africa. Her commitment to international affairs is underlined by her active involvement in conferences such as the African Bar Association, where she presented on human rights and the impact of AI on legal practice under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Awards and recognitions attest to Barrister Eze's significant impact, including the Huntington Her Hero Lifetime Achievement Award and proclamations from Houston, Texas, and Albany, New York. Engaging with organizations, she addresses pressing issues, from countering online harassment and promoting gender equality in STEM to empowering youth for sustainable development goals. Her tireless efforts, showcased in events like the International Youth Conference, demonstrate a commitment to fostering a secure, inclusive world and advancing global peace and security. Barrister Eze's multifaceted contributions underscore her enduring dedication to shaping positive change on an international scale.

Opening Remarks
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Angeli Achrekar

The United Nations Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres appointed Angeli Achrekar as the Deputy Executive Director of Programme of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and she began her work in January 2023. She leads UNAIDS¡¯ efforts in promoting an expanded and integrated UN system response to AIDS at country, regional and global levels, providing the strategic direction, advocacy, coordination and technical support needed to catalyse and connect leadership from governments and communities to deliver life-saving HIV services and towards the achievement of the global goals.

Prior to joining UNAIDS, Ms Achrekar served as the Principal Deputy U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for the U.S. President¡¯s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Over the past 20 years with the U.S. government and PEPFAR, she has held prominent positions helping to lead the largest global health effort of the U.S. government to ensure life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services to millions of people around the globe and strengthen health and community systems across 50 countries.

She is a passionate public servant, dedicated to advancing global health and development, across sectors, especially for women and girls.

She holds a Doctorate of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Public Health from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Panel Discussion: HIV/AIDS: Meeting Unmet Needs in Treatment and Prevention
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Raymond Ayala is a Medical Case Manager at The Brooklyn Hospital Path Center. He has championed and advocated for the community they were born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Raymond Ayala decided as a young man that they would put a dent in the fight against HIV/AIDS and assist thousands of people who were displaced from their homes and lived with the Inertia of fear and doubt. Raymond Ayala recalls, as a teenager, the face of Hiv/Aids as it was then called GRID (Gay related immune deficiency to what it is called now (Acquired immune deficiency). Raymond Ayala began their professional career 17 years ago in the HIV care field at Woodhull Hospital in 2006 after receiving their Education and Masters at Boricua College in Human Services. Raymond Ayala has worked at several agencies, such as Service for the Underserved, Camba, and Lantern communities and the Bowery resident committee. Raymond had many roles As a Senior Case Manager, Health Educator, Care Coordinator, Patient navigator, and now Medical Case Manager and has served the five boroughs. Raymond Ayala has attended the AIDSWALKS and WORLDS AIDS for 20 years. He is a strong Ally to the LGBTQIA community as well as the underserved population and those stricken with mental health diagnoses. Raymond Ayala had seen when HIV/AIDS was a death sentence to now it being U=U Untransmittable equals undetectable from the 30 plus cocktail regimen to the injectable suspension bi-monthly Antiviral medications. Raymond Ayala will continue to fight and share all that is required to keep the community they love and share with those afflicted and living with HIV/AIDS. 

Nkwenti Guedem Edwige

Dr. Nkwenti Guedem Edwige is a highly accomplished family nurse practitioner and HIV specialist with an illustrious career spanning over two decades in Cameroon and the USA. Armed with a wealth of experience, she has become a stalwart in nursing, dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to diverse populations. 

Her journey began in Cameroon, where she honed her skills and developed a deep understanding of the healthcare landscape. Driven by a passion for improving health outcomes, she later expanded her horizons to the United States, where she seamlessly integrated her international expertise into the American healthcare system. With a relentless commitment to addressing the unique challenges of HIV management and prevention, she has emerged as a prominent specialist in her organization and community. Her extensive knowledge and skills have benefited individual patients and contributed significantly to advancing HIV care protocols. A dual commitment to excellence in clinical practice and a genuine dedication to community education characterizes her career. Her impact extends beyond the clinic, as she actively engages in mentorship and educational initiatives, sharing her wealth of experience with the next generation of healthcare professionals.  

Through her work in Cameroon and the USA, she left an indelible mark on the nursing profession, embodying the principles of cultural competence, resilience, and a global perspective in healthcare.

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Dr. Kaplan-Lewis is an infectious disease physician focusing on HIV treatment and prevention, viral hepatitis, and sexual health and works as the HIV Clinical Quality Director for NYC Health and Hospitals in the Office of Population Health. Dr. Kaplan-Lewis received her medical degree from NYU, completed internal medicine residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an infectious disease fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her clinical and research interests include improving access to and quality of care for all New Yorkers with HIV, expanding access to HIV prevention measures, and understanding how to evaluate and manage the clinical manifestations of aging with HIV.  

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Toyin Falusi Nwafor, MD, is the Senior Medical Director of HIV Prevention at ViiV Healthcare. In this role, she leads the medical strategy around HIV prevention initiatives and works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders in the HIV prevention landscape. She is a board-certified Infectious Disease physician and Professor of Medicine who joined ViiV in 2020 as a regional medical director after 20 years of experience in providing primary and specialty care to adults living with HIV and/or viral hepatitis at Cook County Health (CCH), Chicago/Rush University medical center, Chicago. She has contributed as a clinical researcher in the areas of HIV and aging, metabolic complications of HIV, viral hepatitis, and health disparities, with over 90 abstracts presented and over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Toyin was a steering committee member and co-chair of the Healthcare Access sub-committee of the Illinois Getting to Zero (GTZ-IL) Plan. Dr Nwafor is an advocate for people living with HIV and is the recipient of the Aging Positively and Community Impact awards by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. 

Dr. Folaranmi Ogunbowale

Folaranmi Ogunbowale is a medical officer in the public health section of the UN Division of Healthcare Management and Occupational Safety and Health (DHMOSH). In this role, he coordinates the UN Global HIV Post Exposure Prophylaxis (HIV PEP) Program and manages other public health emergencies and crises. He also coordinates and supports implementing the Health Promotion and Infectious Disease Prevention program in UN missions. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree and has post-graduate training in tropical medicine and international health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine -Antwerp, Belgium. He has worked as a public health professional in emergencies, development, conflicts, and post-conflict contexts for over 20 years.  His interest and passion are in program implementation in the field of public and international health in emergency and development contexts.

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Dr. Antonio E. Urbina is the Medical Director for the Mt. Sinai Institute for Advanced Medicine Downtown clinic in New York City. Dr. Urbina is a Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and serves as Medical Director for the Clinical Education Initiative of the New York State Department of Health (DOH) AIDS Institute. Since completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan, Dr. Urbina has pioneered innovative educational programming for community-based clinics, hospitals, and public health departments. He has directed more than 10 HIV clinical trials research protocols and serves on the NYS DOH AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines Committee.  From 2007 to 2009, Dr. Urbina served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), and from 2014 to 2015 served on Governor Cuomo¡¯s Task Force to end the AIDS epidemic in New York State. 

Dr. Urbina started treating patients with HIV at St. Vincent¡¯s Hospital during the height of the HIV epidemic in NYC. During that time, he managed patients with severe opportunistic infections and witnessed first-hand the devastation of the AIDS epidemic in the gay community. Maintaining a large clinical practice, Dr. Urbina became an expert in HIV management, including treating highly complex patients, including those with multi-drug resistance. Over the last ten years, Dr. Urbina has been a highly sought-after educator and mentor for students and residents. In addition to his expertise surrounding the management of HIV, Dr. Urbina is also an expert in providing HIV prevention services to diverse and vulnerable populations.