Our Team
Welcome to OurCARE, a coalition of dedicated activists and academics united by a shared mission. Our paths first crossed in various capacity-building programs and conferences, where we connected over our passion for ensuring the well-being of people living with and affected by HIV.
Over the years, we've engaged in numerous national, regional, and international dialogues, advocating for our communities and representing them on global stages and in academia. These shared experiences have forged strong bonds among us, rooted in our commitment to a common cause.
Today, we embark on a new chapter. OurCARE is not just about participating in programs that aim to improve health outcomes; we are also dedicated to monitoring and reporting on the well-being of our communities. Through this platform, we pledge to tell our stories in our own voices, ensuring that our experiences and challenges are authentically represented.
Join us on this journey as we strive to create lasting impact and drive positive change for our communities. Together, we are OurCARE.
Advisory Board Members
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Lucas J. Núñez Saavedra (She/They)
Lucas J. Núñez Saavedra (she/they) is a designer, visual artist, researcher, and non-binary activist. They are involved with JEVIH (Young People and Students Living with HIV) in Chile as the Communications and Design Coordinator; they work as the Marketing Coordinator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau at AHF (Aids Healthcare Foundation); and additionally, they coordinate the RIZOMA project for J+LAC (Network of Positive Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean).
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Pascal Akahome (He/Him)
Pascal Akahome, (he, him) is a pharmacist, researcher and writer who uses the power of words to advocate for improved HIV treatment and prevention services access to marginalized groups in the global south. His writings also explore the intersection between policy at a macro level and healthcare access. He is a fellow of the Advocacy for Cure Academy of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the director of Antiretroviral Improved Access Initiative (AIAI), a local advocacy network based in Nigeria. He often speaks on HIV scientific and advocacy panels.
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Yana Panfilova (She/Her)
Yana Panfilova (she/her) is a 26-year-old activist from Kyiv, Ukraine, with a bachelor’s degree in social work. One of the first children in Ukraine born with HIV, she has dedicated her life to advocating for young people. Since 2015, Yana has chaired Teenergizer, a union of adolescents and youth, and founded the Eurasian Union of Adolescents and Youth Teenergizer.
Yana has spent seven years supporting vulnerable adolescents in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She was named one of Ukraine's Top 30 Under 30 by Forbes Ukraine in 2020 and was included in KyivPost's Ukraine Under 30 list in 2016.
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Tankut Atuk (He/Him)
Tankut Atuk is an Assistant Professor of Sociology of Public Health and Medicine. His current book project looks at the socio-political dimensions of an exponentially growing HIV epidemic in Turkey where public health has become a pathogenic technology. Through community-engaged and activist research, he seeks to understand and redress the ways in which the formal actors of public health leave HIV-negative people, particularly LGBTI+ communities, susceptible to HIV infection and HIV-positive people defenseless against socio-medical violence.
Board Members
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Luciana Vigano (She/Her)
Luciana Viganò studied law at the University of Basel (MLaw Transnational Law). During her master, she got involved in HIV activism. Notably, she was Co-Chair of the Working Group for the Global Village for the Amsterdam Youth Force in 2018 together with Ozla. Since then she has been working as a lawyer and also started her own business knitnpurl game studio together with Lukas. Luciana brings insight into the legal and business aspect of running an organization.
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Ozla Nuh (He/They)
Ozla (Oğuzhan) is a queer HIV activist and health services researcher from Turkey. As a youth ambassador and advocacy for cure fellow for IAS, Ozla has amplified the voices of young people living with and affected by HIV in various regional and international conferences and currently works for the Global Network of Young People Living with HIV (Y+ Global) as a senior programme officer. As an openly gay man living with HIV, he works with and supports people from marginalised communities and those living with or affected by HIV. He holds an MSc in Health Sciences from the University of Luzern in Switzerland. He continues his studies for a master’s in Social and Cultural anthropology at the University of Zurich and plans to pursue a PhD in medical anthropology.
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Mercy Shibemba (She/Her)
Mercy Shibemba MBE is an award-winning advocate, sharing her story of growing up with HIV to educate, challenge and inspire. She has worked on various youth-engagement programmes ensuring that the voices of young people are centered in HIV science. She is also a health journalist, podcaster and grant-maker.
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Lukas Lezzi
Dr. Lukas Lezzi brings extensive expertise in data protection, compliance, and company law to his role at OurCare. Holding a doctorate from the University of Zurich, Lukas focuses on enhancing the research and advocacy capacities of individuals affected by HIV. Collaborating with various organizations, he champions human rights and raises awareness of sexual and reproductive health. His commitment to ethical practices and community welfare aligns perfectly with OurCare's mission.