As a public engagement manager at the University of Edinburgh, I lead a project called Unseen Hands working with charities and people with lived experience of HIV. This highlighted both how far we have come since the depths of the pandemic in the 1980s, and the work still needed to reach the WHO goal of zero transmission by 2030.

In Scotland, 93% of people living with HIV have been diagnosed, 98% of those people are on effective retroviral treatment and 93% of those are virally suppressed which means they cannot pass the virus on. However, the remaining undiagnosed 7% of people face more challenges than just their HIV status, making it less likely for them to access diagnosis, treatment and care.

For example, 1 in 5 people living with HIV in Scotland identify as African and face cultural stigma around their status. In addition, the IV drug using communities found in Scotland's cities face drug-related stigma and homelessness.

During my Fellowship I will travel to Botswana and South Africa, countries which have a wealth of successful rural and urban sexual health programmes, to learn about their community engagement practices and how they have significantly reduced transmission. I will then work with a group of charities in Scotland to implement my research, aiming to improve services, break down barriers and ensure people can access the care they need.