Dr Andrew Scheibe is a medical doctor by training who works in harm reduction research, programmes and policy in South Africa and the region. His work focuses on the intersections between infectious diseases, determinants of health and rights. He is a technical advisor for TB HIV Care and is a researcher at the University of Pretoria.

Jason Grebely is a Professor in the Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney in Australia.

Dr. Lesi is currently the Medical advisor for viral hepatitis at the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO). She provides technical support for the development of national strategies and policies related to hepatitis epidemiology, prevention and management in the 47 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa with a recent focus on scaling up the public health approach to hepatitis elimination in several priority countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Cameroon. She also provides regional supports to member states to strengthen hepatitis surveillance, proactively contributes to strengthening communication and establishing strategic partnerships with national, regional and global organizations. She is a Professor of Medicine and Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist and was previously Division Head, Clinical program Director and Liver disease team Lead at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and University of Lagos, one of Nigeria’s major tertiary center. She has been actively involved in hepatitis and liver cancer research in Nigeria and Gambia, West Africa (IARC/Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study) and has many publications in local and international peer reviewed journals. She is a member of several national and international groups, including the WHO’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Group on Viral Hepatitis.

Happy Assan, born in December 1979, is an activist working to give a voice to the community of people who use and inject drugs in Tanzania. Happy is a trans person who has been living HIV-positive since 2003. This has motivated Happy to advocate for vulnerable groups in Tanzania. Happy began using heroin 1997 and injecting drugs in 2001, and has since had the opportunity to make presentations at local, national, and international meetings and conferences. Happy currently works at the Tanzania Network for People who Use Drugs, and also supports the women-led organization that is TaWUD. Via Happy’s leadership, these two organizations have been able to secure funds and conduct events such as “Support don’t punish” days since 2014, TB day, Hep C and World AIDS Days, and awakening campaigns in Tanzania in 2016. Happy has also conducted a campaign for ending violence towards women who use drugs and children in Tanzania on the Mainland and Island. In 2014, Happy led other users to parliament to advocate for changes to a Drug Bill. They were able to amend several punitive laws that were part of this bill. Happy also had the opportunity to present at the Program Coordinating Board in Geneva on issues concerning people who use drugs at large and especially women who use drugs, and has made presentations concerning people who use drugs at different conferences, including AIDS Conferences and ISACA. Happy is a member of the Key Expert group formulated in 2014 under UNDP Ethiopia, as well as a board member of the Eastern Africa Harm Reduction Network and a board member on the International Women Harm Reduction Network. Happy is now working with several donors and partners including OSIEA, ARASA, KANCO, MdM, UNODC, UNAIDS, and IDPC. Happy Assan is most of all glad to be able to work with a community of people who use drugs and collaborate with those possessing higher education who can understand Happy’s modest capacity and give encouragement to continue advocacy work. As a member of more than one key population group, and living positive with HIV, Happy knows the importance of being proud of oneself, and says, “TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE MORE”.

Linda-Gail Bekker, MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP(SA), PhD is the Deputy Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, UCT and Chief Operating Officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. Linda-Gail is a physician scientist and has a keen interest in HIV, Tuberculosis and related diseases. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around HIV treatment roll out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in a women, youth and men who have sex with men. She has contributed to a number of publications emanating from the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre on topics relevant to the South African HIV and TB epidemics. In her role in the Foundation, she is passionate about community development. She is also immediate past President of the International AIDS Society.