2025: Time to bring HIV, sexual and reproductive health together for better care

Prof Linda-Gail Bekker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Prof Bekker is a physician, scientist and infectious disease specialist. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around antiretroviral roll-out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in women, youth and MSM. Prof Bekker serves on numerous international scientific and advisory committees. She is a A+ rated scientist, has published >700 peer-reviewed papers.

Prof Linda-Gail Bekker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Prof Bekker is a physician, scientist and infectious disease specialist. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around antiretroviral roll-out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in women, youth and MSM. Prof Bekker serves on numerous international scientific and advisory committees. She is a A+ rated scientist, has published >700 peer-reviewed papers.

Kenneth Ngure MPH, MSc, PhD is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Community Health at Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya, and an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington. He specializes in behavioral research, HIV prevention, and family planning.

Dr. Mayer trained in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital and in Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As the founding Medical Research Director of Fenway Health, he created a community health research program that has developed an international reputation for its capability to conduct community-based research, focusing on sexual and gender minority health and biobehavioral approaches to HIV and STI prevention. He is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Professor in Global Health and Population at the Harvard TC Chan School of Public Health, and he is an Attending Physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Starting in 1994, he has been a site Principal Investigator of NIH-funded clinical trials units, focusing on bio-behavioral HIV prevention research, and is a member of the scientific leadership of HPTN. He has co-authored more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored the first text on AIDS for the general public and has co-edited 5 academic texts. He has served on the governing boards of amfAR, HIVMA and IAS, CDC/HRSA HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee, the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board, and is an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International AIDS Society.

Prof Linda-Gail Bekker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation and Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Prof Bekker is a physician, scientist and infectious disease specialist. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around antiretroviral roll-out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in women, youth and MSM. Prof Bekker serves on numerous international scientific and advisory committees. She is a A+ rated scientist, has published >700 peer-reviewed papers.

Dr. Mayer trained in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital and in Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As the founding Medical Research Director of Fenway Health, he created a community health research program that has developed an international reputation for its capability to conduct community-based research, focusing on sexual and gender minority health and biobehavioral approaches to HIV and STI prevention. He is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Professor in Global Health and Population at the Harvard TC Chan School of Public Health, and he is an Attending Physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Starting in 1994, he has been a site Principal Investigator of NIH-funded clinical trials units, focusing on bio-behavioral HIV prevention research, and is a member of the scientific leadership of HPTN. He has co-authored more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored the first text on AIDS for the general public and has co-edited 5 academic texts. He has served on the governing boards of amfAR, HIVMA and IAS, CDC/HRSA HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee, the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board, and is an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International AIDS Society.

Dr. Mayer trained in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital and in Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As the founding Medical Research Director of Fenway Health, he created a community health research program that has developed an international reputation for its capability to conduct community-based research, focusing on sexual and gender minority health and biobehavioral approaches to HIV and STI prevention. He is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Professor in Global Health and Population at the Harvard TC Chan School of Public Health, and he is an Attending Physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Starting in 1994, he has been a site Principal Investigator of NIH-funded clinical trials units, focusing on bio-behavioral HIV prevention research, and is a member of the scientific leadership of HPTN. He has co-authored more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored the first text on AIDS for the general public and has co-edited 5 academic texts. He has served on the governing boards of amfAR, HIVMA and IAS, CDC/HRSA HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee, the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board, and is an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International AIDS Society.