Building a Bridge to a Healthier World for Youth in Africa with Gilead Sciences
Dr. Summer Sitima, Gilead's Commercial Operations Lead in South Africa, shares her personal journey and the company's initiatives to combat HIV in Africa. Growing up during the HIV epidemic, Summer's experiences led her to pursue a career in healthcare. Today, she leads efforts to address the high rate of HIV diagnoses among adolescents in South Africa.
Gilead collaborates with partners to provide HIV testing, treatment, and education. Innovative programs include training barbers and hairdressers as HIV educators, sponsoring charity runs for medical education, and implementing tree-planting initiatives to improve access to healthcare services. These efforts aim to reduce stigma, increase awareness, and improve access to care in resource- African countries where millions live with HIV and hepatitis.
La Dott.ssa Summer Sitima, Responsabile delle Operazioni Commerciali di Gilead in Sudafrica, condivide il suo percorso personale e le iniziative dell'azienda per combattere l'HIV in Africa. Crescendo durante l'epidemia di HIV, le esperienze di Summer l'hanno portata a intraprendere una carriera nel settore sanitario. Oggi, guida gli sforzi per affrontare l'elevata incidenza di diagnosi di HIV tra gli adolescenti in Sudafrica.
Gilead collabora con partner per fornire test, trattamenti e educazione sull'HIV. Tra i programmi innovativi vi è la formazione di barbieri e parrucchieri come educatori sull'HIV, la sponsorizzazione di corse di beneficenza per l'educazione medica e l'implementazione di iniziative di piantumazione di alberi per migliorare l'accesso ai servizi sanitari. Questi sforzi mirano a ridurre lo stigma, aumentare la consapevolezza e migliorare l'accesso alle cure nei paesi africani a basse risorse, dove milioni vivono con HIV e epatite.
La Dra. Summer Sitima, Líder de Operaciones Comerciales de Gilead en Sudáfrica, comparte su viaje personal y las iniciativas de la empresa para combatir el VIH en África. Creciendo durante la epidemia del VIH, las experiencias de Summer la llevaron a seguir una carrera en el cuidado de la salud. Hoy, lidera los esfuerzos para abordar la alta tasa de diagnósticos de VIH entre los adolescentes en Sudáfrica.
Gilead colabora con socios para proporcionar pruebas, tratamiento y educación sobre el VIH. Los programas innovadores incluyen la formación de barberos y peluqueros como educadores sobre el VIH, la sponsorización de carreras benéficas para la educación médica y la implementación de iniciativas de plantación de árboles para mejorar el acceso a los servicios de salud. Estos esfuerzos tienen como objetivo reducir el estigma, aumentar la conciencia y mejorar el acceso a la atención en países africanos con pocos recursos, donde millones viven con VIH y hepatitis.
서머 시티마 박사는 남아프리카에서 Gilead의 상업 운영 책임자로서 자신의 개인적인 여정과 아프리카에서 HIV에 맞서기 위한 회사의 이니셔티브를 공유합니다. HIV 유행 시기에 성장한 서머의 경험은 그녀가 의료 분야에서 경력을 쌓도록 이끌었습니다. 현재 그녀는 남아프리카에서 청소년 사이의 HIV 진단 비율 문제를 해결하는 노력을 이끌고 있습니다.
Gilead는 HIV 검사, 치료 및 교육를 제공하기 위해 파트너들과 협력합니다. 혁신적인 프로그램으로는 이발사와 미용사를 HIV 교육자로 양성하는 것, 의료 교육을 위한 자선 달리기를 후원하는 것, 그리고 의료 서비스 접근성을 개선하기 위한 나무 심기 이니셔티브를 시행하는 것이 포함됩니다. 이러한 노력은 자원이 부족한 아프리카 국가에서 수백만 명이 HIV와 간염을 앓고 있는 가운데 오명을 줄이고, 인식을 높이며, 치료 접근성을 개선하는 것을 목표로 하고 있습니다.
Dr Summer Sitima, Responsable des Opérations Commerciales de Gilead en Afrique du Sud, partage son parcours personnel et les initiatives de l'entreprise pour lutter contre le VIH en Afrique. Ayant grandi pendant l'épidémie de VIH, les expériences de Summer l'ont conduite à poursuivre une carrière dans le secteur de la santé. Aujourd'hui, elle dirige les efforts pour s'attaquer à la forte incidence des diagnostics de VIH parmi les adolescents en Afrique du Sud.
Gilead collabore avec des partenaires pour fournir test, traitement et éducation concernant le VIH. Parmi les programmes innovants, citons la formation de coiffeurs et de barbiers en tant qu'éducateurs sur le VIH, le parrainage de courses de bienfaisance pour l'éducation médicale et la mise en œuvre d'initiatives de plantation d'arbres pour améliorer l'accès aux services de santé. Ces efforts visent à réduire la stigmatisation, augmenter la sensibilisation et améliorer l'accès aux soins dans les pays africains disposant de peu de ressources, où des millions vivent avec le VIH et l'hépatite.
Dr. Summer Sitima, Leiterin der kommerziellen Betriebsabläufe von Gilead in Südafrika, teilt ihre persönliche Reise und die Initiativen des Unternehmens im Kampf gegen HIV in Afrika. Aufgewachsen während der HIV-Epidemie führten ihre Erfahrungen dazu, eine Karriere im Gesundheitswesen zu verfolgen. Heute leitet sie die Bemühungen, die hohe Rate der HIV-Diagnosen bei Jugendlichen in Südafrika anzugehen.
Gilead arbeitet mit Partnern zusammen, um HIV-Tests, -Behandlungen und -Bildung anzubieten. Innovative Programme umfassen die Schulung von Friseuren und Barbern als HIV-Bildungsbeauftragte, die Sponsoring von Wohltätigkeitsläufen für medizinische Ausbildung und die Implementierung von Aufforstungsinitiativen zur Verbesserung des Zugangs zu Gesundheitsdienstleistungen. Diese Bemühungen zielen darauf ab, Stigmatisierung abzubauen, das Bewusstsein zu schärfen und den Zugang zur Versorgung in ressourcenarmen afrikanischen Ländern zu verbessern, in denen Millionen mit HIV und Hepatitis leben.
- Gilead is actively working to combat HIV in Africa, where there is a high need for intervention
- The company is implementing innovative programs to increase HIV awareness and reduce stigma
- Gilead is partnering with local communities to improve access to HIV testing and treatment
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Dr. Summer Sitima is one of 24 siblings born to a Kenyan family in the 90s at the height of the HIV epidemic in Sub Saharan Africa. She vividly remembers the day in 1997 that she first learned one of her older sisters was living with HIV.
Still a child at the time, Summer recalls her sister's husband pounding on the front door. In his arms, he held the frail body of her sister. She was suffering from advanced and untreated HIV that she acquired through her marriage as a teenager. Summer and her family cared for her until she passed away six weeks later.
"It forever changed my life and something shifted in my mind," says Summer. "From that point on I became very interested in what healthcare looks like and how it can have an impact on people's lives."
Summer went on to become the first of her family's 13 daughters to finish high school, and she then achieved another first when she graduated from college. She defied more odds as she remained unmarried throughout her teenage years and enrolled in medical school.
Today Summer is Gilead's Commercial Operations Lead in South Africa, where
She credits her team's commitment and resilience to helping erode societal and structural obstacles to reach those in the greatest need of care in the region.
"1990s era policies in parts of Africa, built upon fear-mongering and inaccurate information, means many born since 2000 have inadequate awareness of how HIV is acquired and how to access care," Summer explains.
Gilead works with various partners to meet people where they are for testing and treatment and to raise awareness of transmission and reduce stigma. One such initiative in Nairobi trains barbers and hairdressers to become HIV educators.
"This is a space where people can find a path to care," explains Summer, adding that "Barbershops and salons are places where conversations naturally occur, and people feel like they can trust who is speaking with them."
Gilead also sponsors a charity run in Nairobi where the proceeds help students with the cost of medical school at the University of Nairobi. There, medical students learn about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a fun way: As part of their education they host game nights with quizzes and also post social media messages to raise awareness about STIs. "It creates a boomerang effect as the info is more widely shared among their peers and then in turn it helps educate the community," explains Summer.
Another innovative program centers around the simple act of tree planting. During times of extreme drought or flooding, people often can't get to health services, making any sort of testing and treatment difficult. Summer explains how providing vegetation helps with water drainage and improves the ecosystem so people can gain better access to care services and students can get to school. "Girls are most at risk of dropping out during these periods and often become pregnant before finishing their schooling," she says.
It's been more than 25 years since her sister passed away, and Summer recognizes that women like her sister now have better information and access to care, in part because of the work of organizations like Gilead.
"I'm motivated every day to create new possibilities for women, like my sister," explains Summer. "We are changing the stories of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and young people in Africa, and around the world."
Originally published by Gilead Sciences
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