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June 4, 2015
an evening with
Robin Smalley,
Trish Karlin
and special guest Johanna Satekge
PEDIATRIC HIV/AIDS - AN END IN SIGHT
Topic: Pediatric HIV/AIDS
Issues: Education, Intervention, Access
Presenters: Expert presenters Robin Smalley and Trish Devine Karlin will explore pediatric HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, and Johanna Satekge, our special guest visitor from Limpopo, South Africa, will share her on-the-ground experience.
For context and grounding – and not an absolute prerequisite for your attendance - click the link below to find a selection of suggested informative topical materials to read and/or watch, generously curated by our expert panel.
Suggested background materials
Interested in learning more about this event?
Robin Smalley is the Co-Founder and International Director of mothers2mothers (m2m), an NGO working in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and promote healthy motherhood. Before turning her attention to the non-profit world and uprooting her family to South Africa, where she co-founded m2m, Robin enjoyed an Emmy award-winning career as a television producer/director/writer.
m2m recognizes recognizes that women need to be at the heart of efforts to end pediatric AIDS and create healthy families and communities. They believe that
no one should work for free, that education and empowerment are essential for better health, and that by investing in women, they are investing in the future. A simple solution to a complex problem, m2m trains and employs local women living with HIV as Mentor Mothers, to work alongside doctors and nurses in critically understaffed health systems as professionalized members of the healthcare team. Mentor Mothers provide women with essential health education and peer support to access healthcare early, follow their treatment, and stay in care so they can protect their babies from HIV infection and keep themselves and their families healthy. These proud, HIV-positive women fight stigma through example and are role models in their communities.
Since its founding in 2001 at one Cape Town health centre, Mentor Mothers have reached more than 1.2 million HIV-positive mothers across Africa. m2m is committed to reaching one million more, and bringing health and hope to more women and their families.
mothers2mothers has been honored with the GBC Health Frontline Heroes Award, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership, the Global Health Council’s Best Practice Award, the Impumelelo Social Entrepreneurs Award, the Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship and the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Johanna Satekge is a Site Coordinator for mothers2mothers at Ramakgopa Clinic in Limpopo, South Africa. Johanna was diagnosed with HIV in 2000 while pregnant. Although she had been told she was going to die, she did give birth to a baby boy only to lose him seven months later on a day that has come to represent tragedy for many…9/11 . With her son’s death, Johanna thought she would surely be next.
Johanna realized that more and more people were dying from AIDS around her and she could no longer be silent about her infection. She disclosed her status
on a community radio station where people called to ask her many questions. The national Department of Health heard the radio interview and recruited her to become a lay councilor.
Three years later, Johanna became pregnant once more, this time gaving birth to a baby girl. Her little girl also died at seven months, two weeks after she was started on HIV treatment, too late for it to take effect. Finally, in 2007, Johanna gave birth to a healthy, strong and HIV-negative son.
Johanna joined m2m two years later after being introduced to the organization by her clinic. In her role as Site Coordinator, she oversees day-to-day operations for m2m’s local service delivery operations, providing crucial education and support to mothers living with HIV to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). She and her team educate expectant mothers about PMTCT and maternal and child health subjects including: nutrition, safe sex practices, HIV/AIDS treatment, best feeding options, reproductive health and family planning, grief counselling, and general health maintenance for mother and child.
Additionally, Johanna is a Spokesperson for m2m, providing community outreach on subjects including combating stigma and promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and testing.
Over the years, Johanna has touched the lives of thousands of women, helping them prevent their babies from contracting HIV, and losing them as she did. She now has two HIV-negative children and believes she’s the richest woman in the world.
Trish Karlin is Executive Vice President, Business Development and External Affairs, for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). Trish leads a global team that directs business planning, resource development, marketing and communications for EGPAF’s international programs, which represented $125 million in HIV service delivery, advocacy and research in 2014.
Trish joined EGPAF in its early days, and has supported its exponential growth over the past 20 years, particularly in the development and successful
implementation of international AIDS care and research programs in countries hardest hit by the pandemic. Since joining EGPAF in 1994, Trish has played a central role in the establishment of HIV prevention and care programs in more than 20 countries, including India, China, and multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa. These programs, which serve women, children and families affected by HIV/AIDS, have positively affected the lives of more than 20 million women and their families--and have advanced EGPAF’s mission of ending pediatric AIDS. Since EGPAF was founded 25 years ago, there has been a 95% reduction in the number of new HIV infections in children in the US and a 58% reduction in the number of new HIV infections in children globally. EGPAF has been a major contributor to this success.
Trish holds a Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a B.A. in Public Policy and Child Development from Hampshire College. Trish serves on the Advisory Board of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the John M Lloyd Foundation. Trish is a Senior Fellow at the USC Marshall School of Business Society and Business Lab.