I became Co – Chair of Sophia Forum in early July this year and I am really excited to be part of the organisation as it enters into its second decade.
I echo what Lynda has said, there is still a great deal to be done to support women living with HIV in the UK today and an acute need to raise the profile of these issues to service providers and commissioners across the UK leaving no woman living with HIV isolated or without a service that she can access should she wish to.
As an African woman living with HIV I am keen to raise the profile and support the needs of all women living with HIV and to hopefully show other women living with HIV what can be achieved.
I am heartened to hear of the success of the WISE-UP+ residential weekend for women living with HIV in Manchester. I know that feedback from the weekend has been very good and we will feature more about the weekend in future newsletters. We are continually working on funding and hope that we might secure funding for more weekends in the future.
I hope to meet and speak to some of you at our 10thanniversary event, Wising Up, and look forward to continued or new ways of working with you for the best outcomes for women living with HIV across the UK over a further 10 years.
Memory Sachikonye