HIV-Friendly Healthcare Providers Receive Awards

Pioneering Healthcare Providers in the Fight Against Stigma Honored at the “Me and My Healthcare Provider” Campaign

The award ceremony for the Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign, organized under the leadership of the IAS- International AIDS Society and Pozitif-iz Association with the support of Gilead, took place on Saturday, October 4, 2025, in Istanbul. These awards, given to HIV-friendly healthcare providers in Türkiye, found their recipients for the second time this year.

The campaign was launched to reduce the challenges faced by people living with HIV in accessing healthcare services in Türkiye and to strengthen their relationship with healthcare providers. This year’s award recipients were: Associate Professor Dr. Asuman Şengöz İnan, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital; Murat Aslan, Pharmacy Technician; Nurse Ceren Işık Özkahya from the Volunteer and Testing Center of İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital; and Nurse Özgür Kılıç from İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital.

Ceren Özkahya Işık - Özgür Kılıç - Asuman Şengöz İnan - Murat Aslan

Taking the lead in the campaign, Pozitif-iz Association joined in 2024, embracing and actively advancing one of the most critical steps for the health rights of people living with HIV in Türkiye.

With the support of Gilead and in collaboration with IAS, the Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign became a significant milestone in ensuring equal and fair access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Türkiye. This initiative greatly contributed to building a strong bridge of solidarity and trust between healthcare providers and people living with HIV.

The campaign aims to address discrimination, prejudice, and lack of knowledge encountered by people living with HIV in accessing healthcare services in Türkiye. It encourages healthcare professionals to be equipped with up-to-date and accurate information about HIV and to provide care guided by the principles of empathy, confidentiality, and respect. The ultimate goal is to ensure that people living with HIV feel safe within the healthcare system and receive high-quality care under equal conditions. This is seen as an important step toward reducing stigma and discrimination in society and promoting an inclusive approach in the healthcare field.

For Success in Treatment: Empathy and Understanding

At the launch event held at the Pozitif-iz Association center, the topics of prejudice, lack of information, and discrimination faced by people living with HIV in the healthcare system were discussed constructively. Participants shared a common vision that increased empathy and understanding between healthcare providers and people living with HIV supports treatment adherence and improves quality of life.

Çiğdem Şimşek, Founding Member of Pozitif-iz Association, said:

“This campaign is a very important step in ensuring that people living with HIV feel safe and valued in the healthcare system. The empathy of our healthcare providers, their access to accurate information, and their respect for confidentiality directly impact our treatment processes. The Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign gives us all hope for reducing stigma in society and ensuring equality in healthcare services. Being part of this process is a great opportunity to strengthen our solidarity and make our voices heard. We wholeheartedly congratulate our inspiring HIV-friendly healthcare providers for their achievements.”

Çiğdem Şimşek

Messages from the Champions

Associate Professor Dr. Asuman Şengöz İnan, an infectious diseases specialist who has worked in HIV diagnosis and treatment for many years, emphasized the importance of the campaign:

“We know very well the challenges people living with HIV face in accessing healthcare. To remove these barriers, healthcare workers must first become aware. The Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign serves exactly this purpose; we are working to ensure that equality and respect are the foundations of healthcare services. It is vital for everyone to contribute to this process.”

Murat Aslan, Pharmacy Technician, said:

"As a pharmacy technician, I work to ensure that people living with HIV have uninterrupted and safe access to their medications. This campaign encourages healthcare professionals to be more mindful and empathetic in their interactions with people living with HIV. This increases client confidence and strengthens treatment adherence."

Nurse Ceren Işık Özkahya said:

“In the nursing profession, building trust with clients is essential for treatment. I am proud to be part of the Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign to reduce the discrimination faced by people living with HIV and make healthcare environments more inclusive.”

Nurse Özgür Kılıç added:

“Treating people living with HIV without prejudice, with respect, and in accordance with confidentiality rules is our fundamental principle. This campaign not only raises awareness among healthcare workers but also takes an important step in creating positive awareness in society.”

About the Campaign

Launched in 2016 and supported by Gilead, the Me and My Healthcare Provider campaign recognizes healthcare providers who deliver quality HIV services to people facing stigma and discrimination. The campaign aims to inspire similar practices by sharing the stories of these healthcare workers.

More about the campaign: https://www.iasociety.org/me-and-my-healthcare-provider

About IAS

IAS is an organization that brings together scientists, policymakers, and activists to defend the rights of people living with HIV and strengthen global solidarity. IAS hosts the world’s most prestigious HIV conferences.

About Pozitif-iz Association

Pozitif-iz is a civil society organization aiming to empower people living with HIV and their relatives physically, mentally, and socially. It provides support and counseling services while working to reduce prejudice against HIV and AIDS and spread accurate information. Pozitif-iz addresses HIV from both a public health and human rights perspective and operates accordingly. Its founders are activists with over 15 years of experience in the HIV field.