Applying community-led monitoring to community engagement: a person-centered approach to improving HIV service delivery and quality of care across 21 African countries

As the Programme Officer for the Build Resilience Communities Strategic focal area, I am passionate about health system strengthening, and maintain the view that it is critical to the supply and delivery of quality, affordable primary health care and the achievement of universal health coverage.”

Investments towards fighting HIV, TB and malaria have led to significant progress towards ensuring that we have a healthier, safer and equitable future for all.  Having trained and worked in the midst of a country burdened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the lingering presence of TB and the emergence of the COVID pandemic has exposed me to the reality of the devastating effects that these diseases have on communities. After 10 years working in health system strengthening, public health project management, training and capacity of health care workers, programme implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation within HIV/AIDS and TB programmes across South Africa, my career shifted to a global scale in 2022.  Working under the Build Resilient Communities Strategic Focus area at ITPC, the partnership with many diverse communities has redefined meaningful community engagement, leverage community data for impactful advocacy, and advocated for the involvement of recipients of care in shaping HIV policy, promoting community expertise in local, regional and international guidelines and committees.  I support communities in applying CLM methodology to community engagement initiatives to ensure that the voices of people living with HIV and ROC are amplified so that communities are better able to advocate for quality healthcare.  My portfolio also involves various HIV treatment education initiatives which has effectively led to communities self-organizing and demanding their right to health.