MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Meet and hear from people who have
seen and experienced the impact
the global fund has on peoples' lives.
Anton Basenko
UKRAINE
“It is important for us to continue to save lives and to continue the global fight against HIV and tuberculosis (TB) throughout the world, but for this we need money. […] These are just numbers, but human lives are behind these numbers and it is very important for people like me, because my life was also saved by the Global Fund.“
Krystal Birungi
UGANDA
“1 am just one voice in millions that has benefited from the Global fund work, but that is one voice I am proud to add in advocacy for an organization that is doing so much amazing work in my country and throughout the world.“
Mirriam Banda Chisamba
ZAMBIA
Mirriam sees malaria every day at the clinic. The waiting room is often overflowing with mothers and caregivers with young children, pregnant women and the elderly. In her region, between 20-29% of children under 5 are infected each year.
Handaa Enkh-Amgalan
MONGOLIA
“I hope that people who are battling TB or other stigmatized diseases and challenges feel empowered to raise their voices and join me in the fight to break the silence and remove stigma together.“
Olya Klymenko
UKRAINE
“I speak openly about my experience in order to help other people affected by TB in Ukraine gain confidence in their right to health and human dignity.“
Miranda Ekema Ndolo
CAMEROON
"The Global Fund remains relevant to my work as a youth activist and health service provider by making effective investments in key populations as well as, supporting country-level efforts to adopt enabling policies for effective and efficient HIV/TB and Malaria elimination approaches."
Joyce Ouma
KENYA
“It is imperative that young people be informed and engaged in programme design and implementation [at the Global Fund]. Youth, adolescent girls, and young women must be at the core of all we do.“
Ani Herna Sari
INDONESIA
“As a pregnant woman with TB, my experience was unique compared to most TB patients – but telling my story is important to help show the need for increased support and investment in TB responses, and especially in The Global Fund.“
Aaron Sunday
NIGERIA
"Many are born and many are lost to HIV and TB, but what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger. Am a survivor today and through resilience we shall continually confront HIV with bold steps and speak up for all to Step Up the fight on ATM for a world free of AIDS."
Naomi Wanjiru
KENYA
“It is my fervent belief that I must explore all avenues of awareness creation on matters of TB and that highlighting my plight as a health worker affected by TB uniquely positions me to inspire others, across all levels of society, to do more to help end TB.“
Gautam Yadav
INDIA
“Young people know their problems and have solutions. Our voices should be heard and be the starting point.“
What is the GFAN Speakers Bureau?
Our Speakers Bureau is a register of advocates who are committed to sharing the messages to fund the Global Fund, to create policy changes for positive enabling environments and to increase domestic investments in health and to encourage collective engagement in their advocacy to governments and decision-makers.
The principle is that people who have seen the impact of the Global Fund in their lives are the most impactful spokespeople for the Global Fund. Each of our speakers are currently or have in the past accessed Global Fund-supported programs and are active advocates in their own communities for prevention, treatment and/or care for one or more of the three diseases.
As GFAN members are constantly seeking opportunities to solidify and increase either donor funding to the Global Fund Secretariat or domestic funding for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, being able to call upon trained spokespeople is a key to the success of their advocacy. We have been providing trained speakers to our members since 2010 (starting with the Here I Am campaign) and with encouraging successes. We offer our partners on-going access to speakers that can provide the voice of affected communities at their events and discussions with decision-makers, the public and media.
Can one of your champions attend my event, speak to the media?
If you’re an organization working on HIV, TB and/or malaria advocacy, we can work with you to see if your request is appropriate for our bureau and which of our speakers can participate. We are also open to general requests from the media. Get in touch with us here.
Note: we make cost-sharing arrangements with host organizations for all speaker trips
Read the latest news and articles from our Speakers Bureau
Mentors Supporting the GFAN Speakers Bureau
Former Speakers
- Marie Solange Ngoueko (Cameroon)
- Resty Nalwanga (Uganda)
- Serge Douomong Yotta (Cameroon)
- Rachel Boyindjo (Togo)
- Erika Castellanos (Belize)
- Clara Banya (Malawi)
- Souhaila Bensaid (Tunisia) (2015-2016)
- Nicolas Ritter (Mauritius) (2015-2016)
- Louie Zepeda-Teng (Philippines) (2015-2016)
- Maura Elaripe (Papua New Guinea) (2017-2018)