Zimbabwe AIDS Project

Health Care Advocates International (HCAI) is proud to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation

At HCAI, we’re partnering with EJAF working to end HIV by 2030 and shut down the stigma. Our advocacy reaches from here in the U.S. to Zimbabwe, where we have provided life-saving care to nearly 10,000 Zimbabwean people with HIV, including many children.

Bringing HIV to its end takes all of us.

Watch our latest promotional video tagged
https://www.hcaillc.com/advocacy-programs/hiv-aids/the-end

Health Care Advocates International - LGBTQ+ Medical Services Measles Advisory: There has been a recent increase in measles activity internationally and in the United States. Learn More

Tonight is Health Care Advocates International’s big night as one of the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Viewing Party and gala’s Presenting Sponsors. I am proud to be a Benefit Chair for tonight too.

Our missions align perfectly in fighting HIV and LGBTQ stigma & discrimination with the seemingly unattainable goal of ending global HIV by 2030. HCAI’s STIGMA WARRIORS initiative ultimately aims to reduce the 37,000 annual U.S. HIV infection rate and 5,000 annual U.K. Infection rate, and spreading these successes globally to make the 2030 goal fully attainable.

Every day, the stigma towards the HIV and LGBTQ+ communities makes living a healthy, happy life a challenge. Our Stigma Warrior Campaign shines a light on these experiences through compassionate storytelling and imagery. This campaign is an extension of HCAI’s mission to end discrimination, cultivating community where it’s needed most. By sharing stories of adversity and triumph, Stigma Warriors can help others feel seen in their struggles and empower them to live as their most authentic selves.

All of us at Health Care Advocates International (HCAI) & I want to acknowledge that today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day?

This year's theme is "Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities".

The main reason we have a “National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day” is to acknowledge another major health disparity, that is, how HIV disproportionately affects Black people.

Black Americans represent only 14% of the U.S. population, but 40% of new HIV infections, with black women accounting for 54% of all new HIV diagnoses in women. From HIV.gov: It has been estimated that if “current HIV diagnoses rates persist, about 1 in 2 black men who have s*x with men (MSM) in the United States will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime”. And our black MSM youth are particularly and disproportionately affected.

Remember, HIV STIGMA! It is still very prevalent. Racism, discrimination, cultural and community barriers and mistrust in the health care system may also affect whether Black people seek or receive HIV treatment & prevention services. Black women, both cis- and transgender, face additional barriers to care due to s*xism, preventing access to HIV preventative treatments like PrEP, testing services and medical care.

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy has designated Black women as a “priority population”, compelling federal agencies and other stakeholders to focus resources to support them.

Become an HCAI STIGMA WARRIOR ( https://www.hcaillc.com/advocacy-programs/stigma-warrior ). Our Stigma Warrior Campaign shines a light on your experiences through compassionate storytelling and imagery. This campaign is an extension of HCAI’s mission to end discrimination, cultivating community where it’s needed most. By sharing your and others’ stories of adversity and triumph, Stigma Warriors can help others feel seen in their struggles and empower them to live as their most authentic selves.

Call us at (203)345-0404 and just tell us you’re interested in becoming a STIGMA WARRIOR after you check out our page with the above link.

LGBTQ+ Stigma Warriors | HCAI Stigma Warrior Campaign is HCAI’s mission to end discrimination, cultivating community where it’s needed most.

This is my first World AIDS Day where hubby & I are off on a short re-energizing break. Today let’s not forget those who have given their lives to help others benefit from the research & development that has led us to much simpler, less toxic 2-drug antiviral therapy in pill (Dovato and Juluca) and every 8 week injection form (Cabenuva), as well as the first every 6-month subQ injection ART, lenacapravir.

And I’d like to remember those who gave their lives in the past 12 months, those whom our family at Health Care Advocates International will never never forget: Sheila, Inge, Chrissy and Mikki, and Vinny, Bob, and Ken.

Their passings remind us that, although they didn’t die from AIDS, they did give their lives due to direct and indirect complications from being HIV+, what we refer to as co-morbidities associated with HIV. HIV makes us more susceptible to cancers, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, more COVID-related complications, diabetes, high blood pressure etc etc etc.
We have ALL of the tools available TODAY to end HIV by 2030, HCAI’s mission, ie medications to render HIV “undetectable” so it doesn’t transmit to our s*xual partners and PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis) to protect those HIV-negative from acquiring the virus.

But stigma is still our MAJOR barrier to diagnosing all of those with HIV, keeping those HIV+ on medication from staying on their medications, and recognizing those who need PrEP and are at-risk for becoming HIV+. Only 30% of those at-risk are on PrEP in the U.S. today…that is totally unacceptable!
And 30-40% of those with HIV in the U.S. are “lost to follow up”, and this is around 25% elsewhere in the world…also totally unacceptable!

Today, HCAI continues leading in fighting HIV, as well as LGBTQ+ stigma, in CT, in the USA, and in Zimbabwe.

Today, LET COMMUNITIES LEAD in fighting HIV stigma and ending global HIV by 2030.

God bless everyone involved in this critical mission 💖🙏

What a beautiful honor from Senator Blumenthal and Frank Parker Recchia of Ch.12 News on this UN World Humanitariam Day. I am really honored and touched 💖

Stratford doctor honored on World Humanitarian Day Dr. Gary Blick is the chief medical officer at Health Care Advocates International.

Thank you Frank Parker Recchia for great coverage of HCAI’s SOLAR-3D study results presented in Brisbane Australia. And thanks to the International AIDS Society for the honor of selecting our study for oral presentation. We’ll done Elysia, Drew, Giacomo, and Lei Fang of Pharstat.

https://connecticut.news12.com/stratford-hiv-specialist-honored-by-international-aids-society-for-his-research?fbclid=IwAR2OQiVWqT3ZFm5-VqbTcM1zJKrzsLumQGdEfsmGPLEF1Khg1GncSRechds_aem_AaDtJEBB24v-pKrpUVEF2m_TyvRziDASfI1r9LWyabgp9dd0SSl5c_meE0W9e3x1HEs&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Stratford HIV specialist honored by International AIDS Society for his research A two-year study conducted by the nonprofit Health Care Advocates International found that taking two drugs daily works as well as taking three or four, even when patients have developed a resistance to their drug regimens.

Here is the abstract summary of HCAI’s SOLAR-3D data that, over 2 years, switching from 3- or 4-drug HIV therapy (eg Triumeq, Biktarvy, Genvoya) the 2-drug therapy) to only 2-drug therapy, Dovato, can be safely done without continued viral suppression even if you have failed multiple prior regimens AND even if you have previously developed the “resistance” mutation, M184V/I, while on lamivudine (3TC) that is in Dovato! This is critical data to know because switching off the more expensive drugs could save our State Medicaid programs $1B annually if you only 15% of PLWHA switched, but think about the billions of dollars in savings for the Global Fund supplying g drugs to economically developing countries throughout the world!

Prior M184V/I and multiple prior virological failures have no impact on the efficacy of switching HIV+ adults to DTG/3TC through 96Wks in SOLAR-3D

https://programme.ias2023.org/Search/Search?search=Gary%20Blick%20&fbclid=IwAR33BOh4slEAIJPdCVhQHZM-a4KNDJ2YznGeRreZeKkjF10E1Xr7ukGxemg

Conference Programme

Turns out this 2023 International AIDS CONFERENCE has been an excellent update of the progress made in the world with not only HIV treatment (focus on long-acting agents up and coming to complement every 2 month injectable Cabenuva), but also PrEP updates, with the every 2-month injectable Cabotegravir and potential future preventions, and an excellent plenary on using DoxyPEP (200mg of doxycycline for POST-Exposure Prevention of s*xually transmitted infections, syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, but only for those at risk, ie 1-2 STIs/year).

HCAI’s SOLAR-3D presentation that I gave was very well-received and stimulated a lot of Q&A. Funny how frightened my colleagues are of change, even if what they are prescribing is the most expensive HIV drug in the world and has no benefit added, and possibly could have negative long-term consequences, especially in places like Zimbabwe where Tenofovir (the old TDF version is still causing osteoporosis and kidney failure!). Change is slow and always in baby-steps.
I’ll post the lecture when it’s ready.
One bottom line from the meeting is that every PLWHA is at higher risk of heart attack and stroke, and even if you are “only” at low-to-moderate increased risk, you will benefit from taking a statin for prevention! At HCAI, our patients already knew this as we have been using statins for prevention for 20+ years! But we needed the proof that what we have been doing is significantly effective. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine at the same time that Dr. Steve Grinspoon presented the data here at IAS2023.
Here is the CNN summary of the data:

Cholesterol-reducing medication reduces risk of heart disease for people with HIV, trial finds | CNN Scientists have long known that people living with HIV face a higher risk of heart disease. The drug pitavastatin, however, might offer a solution.

Morning meetings in the beautiful city of Brisbane. If only “winter” in CT could be like this 😎…nah, I’d miss the snow and cold and frozen pipes and power outages and Nor’easters

Did you hear? Zimbabwe AIDS Project is now part of Health Care Advocates International. Be sure to follow HCAI for the same great content and more!

Zimbabwe AIDS Project is now part of Health Care Advocates International. HCAI is a health and advocacy organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ community through prevention, advocacy, programs, education and treatment. Be sure to follow HCAI for the same great content and more!

“Undetectable” describes when the copies of HIV in a person's blood is so low that it does not show up on a lab test. The test measures a person's “viral load.” “Untransmittable” means that a person living with HIV has virtually no chance of transmitting the HIV virus to someone else through s*xual contact.

Happy birthday . This campaign is a powerful glowing global movement that is changing lives . Zimbabwe Aids Network Rhrn Zimbabwe Tariro Kutadza Zimbabwe AIDS Project

Meet today's Stigma Warrior

My name is Emanuel and I've been living with HIV for 15 years. I have a wife and three children who are HIV negative. I live positively and I am the senior HIV Activist in Malawi. I have established an organization that is promoting the rights of people living with HIV in Malawi. We support each other with little resources that we receive from well wishers. We do positive trainings that has results in improved living standards, and we fight stigma and discrimination. All people deserve respect and love and that is what we give.

Together we fight stigma. Together we are HIV Advocates.

Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).
NWGHAAD increases awareness, sparks conversations, and highlights the work being done to reduce HIV among women and girls in the United States while showing support for those with HIV.
In the USA
-Approximately one in four people living with HIV in the United States are women. One in nine of them are unaware of their status.
-Adult and adolescent women accounted for 19% of new HIV diagnoses in 2018. Of these, 85% were attributed to heteros*xual s*x and 15% to injection drug use.
-The number of annual HIV diagnoses in women declined 23% from 2010 to 2017. New HIV diagnoses declined 27% among African-American women and 23% among Latinas, but remained stable among white women. New HIV diagnoses declined among women of all ages except in those over 55; in that age group the rate of new diagnoses remained stable.
-Among all women diagnosed with HIV in 2018, 57% were African American, 21% were white, and 18% were Hispanic/Latina.-

Meet today's Stigma Warrior, Nairobia Ramey.

"I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. I'm 39 years old I have 3 beautiful children. In 2005 just a few months after my twenty fourth birthday I became ill. I thought it was just due to me working full time, being in college and a mom. I had been dating a guy I met while working. One day after work, I felt extra tired than usual, and I went to bed early, but I never got up the next day and my mom looked at me and she asked if I should see my doctor. I called my clinic and requested to be seen. I went in and was checked out. I had a little fever. My doctor asked if I would like to be tested for everything and I said yes. I went back home, and I was just so weak I didn't eat just slept. My mother was worried and decided that I should go to the ER and I was asked if I wanted an HIV test, I said yes. Other tests were ran as well, I was sent home once again with no results. It's now been a week or so since these tests and I'm now losing weight and still not eating. I went back to the ER because I hadn't eaten in days. Once there a nurse comes in and asks my mom if she can leave the room. The nurse looks at me and says," I don't mean to tell you this, but you have HIV". I could barely talk. The nurse says to me, "do you know what this means?" And at 24 I still had no real knowledge about HIV. I'm just in shock because I heard all the horrible stories about HIV, I began to cry. My mother came in and asked what's wrong and I told her. My mom hugged me and said, "it's going to be ok." After Gathering up my emotions and I was released from the hospital I decided that day that I will go to the Caribbean Festival that they have in Baltimore each year. I enjoyed myself and I began to research about HIV. I came across a program here in Baltimore Maryland called "sisters together and reaching" which is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals living with HIV as well as HIV prevention. I joined the group and I've realized that they were women like me who were living with HIV not dying of HIV. Women who were married, educated, had children and this started my journey of becoming an HIV advocate. I was hired through "Sisters Together and reaching" and there I began to speak out about my HIV diagnosis. I speak at churches, schools, events, recovery programs and more. I just want individuals to know that HIV doesn't have to be a death sentence but something that we now can live with. This is a chapter of my story not the entire book. I now get to share with others and show people how to live with HIV. I want to give people hope and serenity. Your life is not over, it's just a new way to live."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

Today, we continue to honor the legacy and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Do you know about U equals U?

Hello HIV Advocates. How is everyone doing today?

Today's Stigma Warrior is Steller from Zambia.

"I wake up in the morning,the first thing I think of is that I am still alive. However,I do not have the power to wake myself up so I quickly say thank you Lord for the gift of life.🙏 People ask me how it is possible to be HIV positive and yet just say it to everyone... I smile and say, it's more than just disclosure, it's about me as well, my healing, its about passion and also selfless love.....
We break down most of the times with no one to ran to or talk to. We have people in our lives whom we turn to in tough times but they won't always be there. Since 2015, I have been committed to a very caring,supportive and faithful partner who no matter what, never leaves me. There are times when I feel my partner is not doing much and I feel like giving up but then I think of all the good times I have spent with him. I mean it's because of him that I am like this today,I am able to talk to someone and make them feel okay, some people even refuse when I tell them I am HIV positive because of my partner. No one can be as faithful😍😍😍😙.Because of my partner, my daughter was born undetectable 😍😍😙❤✊.
I remember I started taking my meds when my cd4 was as low as 55. My partner welcomed me with warmth, it wasn't easy for me but he made me feel as comfortable as possible until I became undetectable. Through the journey I defaulted and my VL went to 3814, he was still there mwebantu.who does that?
That is why I too have become a faithful partner because it is a life time commitment and we need to abide.
My medication is my partner for life😍😍💃
HIV should not be death sentence,it should not be the reason you stay indoors, it shouldn't be the reason you do not have friends,it should not be the reason you kill yourself.
our goal is to reach and it's only by being a faithful partner to our meds 😍😍. We shouldn't allow people's opinions rule our lives" ✊✊





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Today's Stigma Warrior is Lexi B. Please read her deeply inspiring and emotional story. Click the link below.

"It was later revealed that her fiancé, who she knew was unfaithful, had been seeing both women and men on the side. For weeks he denied his own diagnosis until Lexi convinced him to get tested. "

"According to the CDC, Black/African American folks make up only 13% of the population of the United States. However, in 2018, this community accounted for over 40% of all new HIV diagnoses in the nation. As many as 1 in 7 Black/African American people with HIV do not even know that they are living with the virus."

“God Got Me”: Podcaster Lexi B. :: HIV ADVOCATES Written by: Barrett White She’s known to her fans as Lexi B. She’s a podcaster, an entrepreneur, and a public speaker. Lexi is also living with

Dr. Patrick Hazangwe has arrived back in Harare. Services are tomorrow, Oct 8 at 7am (Memorial Service), 11:00 (Burial) at GLENFOREST in No. 232, Arcturus, Greendale (see attached photos if you’d like to attend in-person).
You can also “attend” via this link:

https://m.facebook.com/ArcadiaSDAChurch/live/

Our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers go out to Patrick’s beautiful wife and daughter, Rene and Joanna 💖

IN MEMORIUM
PATRICK HAZANGWE, MD, PhD
SEPT 13, 1961 - SEPT 25, 2020
Loving husband to Renelyn and father to Joanna
Zimbabwe AIDS Project’s Country Director
Former Provincial Medical Director, Matebeleland North
WHO Tuberculosis Medical Officer
General Practitioner, HIV/AIDS Specialist, TB Specialist, Researcher
Rest In Peace my friend. I and we will miss you terribly...

Today's Stigma Warrior is Pako from Botswana.

"With all I've went through, i then decided to rewrite my story and Fight until i got my dignity back, I beat HIV to the ground. I decided to come out about my HIV status because i want to bring Hope To the Hopeless, Fight stigma and discrimination and Help people who keep on defaulting on their medication to stay strong and take their medication well in time since There is life after being Diagnosed with HIV."

Read his full story below.

Pako :: HIV ADVOCATES LIFE AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH HIV Pako Curtis Bootsapo a young Men who hails from Serowe, Botswana was diagnosed with HIV on February 2004 at

Meet today's Stigma Warrior Shingi
Get to know him below:

"But today I take care of my health and knowing my status safed my life.
May my story Inspire someone."

Meet Shingi :: HIV ADVOCATES 20 June 1999. I was 5 years as an Airmen, I stayed in the military barracks, back then i just turned 26 years old, still experiencing life away from

Get to know ZAP

The path to HIV disclosure is not an easy one, so empathize when a friend or relative discloses his or her status. Love and empathy is what they need not sympathy, stigma or discrimination.

Did you know?

Meet our HIV Advocate, Shingi. He was brave enough to share his story with us. Shingi is a Stigma Warrior and we are so happy to have him as an Advocate.
Click the link below for his full story.

Meet Shingi :: HIV ADVOCATES 20 June 1999. I was 5 years as an Airmen, I stayed in the military barracks, back then i just turned 26 years old, still experiencing life away from

As the VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE 2020 closes, check out this incredible video from AFRICAID ZVANDIRI ZIMBABWE: THIS IS ME

https://youtu.be/uL8AiJL97wU

This Is Me - Africaid Zvandiri In the Greatest Showman’s original song ‘This is Me’, a group of people who have been stigmatised and isolated from society fight back, saying I am bruised, ...