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HIV Care: Black Women's Unsung Leadership
1 Aug
Summary
- Black women built community care when governments failed.
- EVE for Life integrates mentorship, psychosocial support, and advocacy.
- Sustained funding for grassroots leaders is urgently needed.
Public health leaders are questioning whether the world will invest in the people who have consistently provided care support throughout the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This focus is particularly relevant given the 45th anniversary of the pandemic and the recent International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent.
Black women across the diaspora have established community-based care networks, filling critical gaps where governmental responses were insufficient. In Jamaica, EVE for Life, co-founded in 2008, offers a model of integrated care, including peer mentorship and psychosocial support, grounded in dignity and community.
Dr. Patricia Watson highlights that trust in HIV care is built through personal connection, not institutions. The Mentor Moms Initiative demonstrates how women living with HIV can effectively guide younger individuals through treatment and life challenges, fostering leadership and resilience.
Misunderstandings about HIV persist, including the belief that treatment alone ended the crisis and that upper-middle-income status equates to comprehensive handling of the issue. There's a critical need for sustained, unrestricted funding for community-led organizations and integrated mental health support within HIV care.
