No One Left Behind
No one left behind: panel and discussion
This week saw HIV Prevention England’s conference in London. Lizzie, our CEO and Founder, was asked to join the closing plenary panel to discuss ‘No one left behind’. The list of suggested topics to address included:
Equity
Access
Testing offer/uptake
Other prevention forms
Fast track cities – what about smaller towns and rural areas?
The link between sexual health and STIs
Emerging communities
What happens when rate of new diagnoses is similar across all populations?
Alongside Lizzie the panellist included Dr Vanessa Apea - HIV and Sexual Health Specialist Consultant - Barts NHS, Luis Guerra - HIV Commission Lead, Ian Howley - LGBT Hero, Harvey Kennedy - LGBT Foundation, Michelle Ross – CliniQ Founder with the Chair, Deborah Gold, NAT.
Here Lizzie briefly shares what she covered in the panel.
‘So yesterday’s conference was in the context of HIV Prevention; the panel were given a wide range of topics which fall under that umbrella. I used my allocated 3 minutes to make 4 points below which actually go far wider than HIV prevention. They’re applicable food for thought for anyone working in the third sector, in healthcare, in public health in diversity and inclusion.
Accessibility and inclusion
What do we actually mean by that? Can you hand on heart say it is the ‘golden thread’ through your project/organisation/intervention?
When talking about health and healthcare, accessibility and inclusion go hand in hand with dignity and respect. If your service/intervention design and delivery doesn’t include, you’re actively choosing to be excluding. You are disrespecting. You are othering. If the venue you choose is littered with steps access isn’t at the front of your thoughts or actions. As they say, actions always speak louder than words.
Respect the time and depth grassroots activism fosters in communities
The evidence is there! By way of example the MobPresh evaluation shows that the depth and quality of intervention penetration takes time, and this hands down beats shallow quick projects which are swiftly withdrawn. Relationships and respect take time. Communities are people, not KPIs.
The chase for innovation
Why oh why do funders constantly chase ‘innovation’? I attended Dr Duckies ‘Mutant Hope Machines’ workshop and we heard from amazing activists who are getting the jobs done at the conference. These programmes are working; let’s invest in their core costs, respect the people delivering results and enable them to maximise their impact. I’d like to see support for the third sector (large to tiny) embed SROI into their ‘business as usual’.
Who is at the table?
Dame Inga Beale, Chair of The HIV Commission, started the HIV Prevention England conference by stating that ‘we need different people around the table’. So let’s actually make that happen. Let’s foster, grow and support the advocates and leaders of the future. Respect their time and their energy; are you using (abusing) them? Let’s stop wheeling out the same faces, let’s step aside, let’s invest energy AND resource into creating spaces and opportunities for new faces at the table.
And with that my time was up. That being said - my frustrations and anger spur me on – it gave me time to reflect and clarifies for me where Think2Speak is in our ‘business as usual’ getting stuff so right where others really aren’t!’
Lizzie Jordan