Program - Symposia 5 - Tiko bulabula -supporting the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV (mental health and chronic disease management)

Symposia 5 - Tiko bulabula -supporting the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV (mental health and chronic disease management)

Tracks

Monday, August 17, 2026

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Gardenia / Frangipani

Details

Tiko bulabula – supporting the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV – centres on a critical challenge in the Pacific HIV response: why people fall out of care, and what it takes to keep them engaged. As HIV becomes an increasingly chronic, manageable condition, attention must shift beyond diagnosis and treatment to sustained retention in care, including mental health, wellbeing, and management of co-morbidities.

This session brings together diverse perspectives to explore these issues in depth. Keynote speakers will share insights from lived experience, mental health and counselling practice, and program implementation across Pacific settings. Together, they will highlight the complex and interrelated factors that influence engagement in care, including stigma, mental health challenges, service accessibility, and continuity of support.

The second half of the session will shift to an interactive workshop, where participants will work in small groups to translate evidence and experience into practical, context-specific solutions. With a strong focus on reducing loss to follow-up, integrating mental health into HIV care, and strengthening support for women and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, this session aims to generate actionable strategies that can be adapted and applied across diverse Pacific contexts.

Speaker

Delma Yeki

KPAC, Papua New Guinea

Supporting Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing for Women and Families Living with HIV in Papua New Guinea: Community-Led “Mentor Mother” Approaches from WABHA PNG

Abstract (.docx)

Delma Yeki is President of WABHA PNG Inc and Vice-Chair of Key Populations Advocacy Consortium PNG Inc (KPAC PNG). A leader and advocate for women living with HIV, she works to strengthen community-led responses, improve access to care, and promote mental health, gender equality, and family wellbeing across PNG.

Rebecca Kubunavanua

FJN+, Fiji

Strengthening Mental Health Support for Women Living with HIV in Fiji: Lessons for Treatment Engagement in the Pacific

Abstract (.docx)

Rebecca Kubunavanua is a Fijian advocate working to strengthen community-led responses to HIV, with a focus on gender equality and social inclusion. She supports coordination and capacity building across civil society organisations to improve access to prevention, care, and support services for vulnerable communities.

Pacific HIV Symposium

Workshop: Identifying barriers & developing interventions for improved mental health integration in HIV Care

Group 1: Mental health integration into HIV care
Group 2: Retention and re-engagement strategies
Group 3: Women, families and PMTCT

Mr Joeli Colati

Executive Director

FJN+, Fiji

Workshop Facilitator: Identifying barriers & developing interventions for improved mental health integration in HIV Care

Joeli Colati is a passionate HIV advocate, community leader, and Executive Director of Fiji Network Plus. As a person openly living with HIV who is undetectable, he uses his lived experience to inspire hope, challenge stigma, and advocate for the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of people living with HIV and key populations. With over a decade and a half of experience working with Fiji Network Plus, the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, and as an SSA with the World Health Organization (WHO Fiji), based within the Family Health Unit, Joeli has dedicated his career to strengthening HIV programmes and championing community-led responses. His unwavering commitment is driven by one simple belief: NO ONE SHOULD FACE HIV ALONE. He continues to be a strong voice for those whose stories are often unheard, working to build a future where everyone can live with dignity, equality, and hope.

Mr. Asaeli Sinusetaki

Fiji Rainbow Pride Foundation

Workshop Facilitator: Identifying barriers & developing interventions for improved mental health integration in HIV Care

Asaeli Sinusetaki is a Fijian community advocate and leader working to advance human rights, public health, and social justice. Through his work with the Rainbow Pride Foundation, he supports HIV prevention, youth empowerment, and LGBTQI inclusion, strengthening community-led responses and building partnerships that promote dignity, equality, and wellbeing across Fiji and the Pacific.

Rebecca Kubunavanua

FJN+, Fiji

Workshop Facilitator: Identifying barriers & developing interventions for improved mental health integration in HIV Care

Session Chair

Jessica Hill

Pacific Program Lead

Health Equity Matters