Bukelwa Sontshatsha

Bukelwa has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS for close to two decades, from volunteering in community-based support programs to coordinating multisectoral teams focused on HIV/AIDS prevention. She is especially passionate about ensuring that voices of persons living with HIV/AIDS are meaningfully represented at every level of decision-making. She previously worked as a health promotion officer for a local municipality, ran a support group for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital for parents and children who are HIV-positive and sat on the Community Advisory Board of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, the board at Phakama Community Health Project and the St. Luke’s Hospice board.

Fellowship Focus
Bukelwa listened to and documented voices of PLHIV in South Africa in considering the feasibility of rolling out treatment as prevention there. Her perspectives helped to inform and influence policy and programming to ensure better service delivery for PLHIV in South Africa.

In Their Own Words
Treatment as prevention has always been on the South African agenda since the HPTN052 results were announced, but what was missing was inclusion of the voices and preferences of PLHIV in its implementation. Working with communities and advocates helps to lift their issues and positively impact programming. We should do more of it.