Maya Matthews has worked in public health for the past 20 years. She is currently deputy head of unit at the European Commission’s health and food safety directorate general. From 2013-2016, Maya was posted to the European Union’s Delegation to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva where she covered health issues and relations with the World Health Organisation. Before joining the European Commission in 2008, Maya worked in Brussels for an NGO on health promotion and consulted on reproductive health, HIV prevention and Tuberculosis. Maya holds a BA in Human Sciences from Oxford University and a Masters in Health Promotion Sciences from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she also worked as a researcher from 1993-1995 on HIV knowledge, attitude and behaviour surveys in Europe.

Dovilė ŠAKALIENĖ, Member of Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) with background in legal psychology, fundamental rights and public affairs. She is a founder and member of Parliamentary Suicide and Violence Prevention Commission, Chair of Parliamentary Group for Development Cooperation and Reproductive Health and Rights. Main area of interest – combating all forms of violence, child rights protection, gender based violence, trafficking in persons, rights of vulnerable groups. Former head of national human rights watchdog Human Rights Monitoring Institute, former head of Fund Operator for NGO Programme Lithuania under EEA Grants financial mechanism. Former journalist (radio producer & host, columnist for largest online media outlet DELFI, accredited journalist at the Council of Europe). Main scientific interest: cognitive information processing defects due to early childhood abuse; values and ethics systems; extremely violent behavior; serial homicide. Solid experience in teaching and training (from University courses to interactive trainings to regional media to online courses).

Rasa Kanašonkienė, Graduated from Vilnius University, Faculty of Law with a Master's degree in Law. For the last 6 years she has been an active member of the Lithuanian Social Democrats Party, the largest political party in Lithuania, and a member of it’s Lithuanian Social Democrats Women Union (since April 2019, Vice-Chair of the Union). Areas of interest and activities include equal opportunities, gender-based violence, violence against children, protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, reproductive health and rights, human rights violations in the health system. Experienced in the field children rights’ protection (former lawyer at the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour). Rasa has a considerable parliamentary work experience (former assistant to Algirdas Sysas, legal advisor to Dovilė Šakalienė - Members of the National Parliament Seimas). She is an active public figure, chair of the local women's club, and coordinator of the Faculty of Law of the Third Age University.

Anna Zakowicz, MA, MIH, works at AHF (AIDS Healthcare Foundation) Europe as a Deputy Bureau Chief and Program Director. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of AIDSFonds. She is a person who lives with HIV for more than 20 years and comes from the experience of HIV treatment activism, fight for human rights and equity. She has a background in humanities and public health. In her work, she focuses on implementation of the evidence-based concepts of Test & Treat, integrated care, people-centered and user-driven care and patients’ involvement in co-production of health. She believes that every person should receive loving and caring services. She works on the notion of kindness and respect in medical and non-medical settings for people.

Maryan SAID is a registered nurse with experience of drug rehabilitation and harm reduction. She has also worked as a researcher for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. She is an active member and currently the chair of a user driven HIV outpatient clinic in Southern Norway. Through her engagement, Maryan has been actively involved in advocacy and supporting active involvement of people living with HIV in service development and delivery. Maryan is actively involved in the HIV sector at a national and regional level. Her work includes a range of initiatives from HIV awareness in refugee centres, one-to-one support, treatment advocacy and patient literacy. She has a passion for improving the sexual and reproductive health of women living with HIV, as well as building social networks for and empowering people living with HIV, especially the underserved groups in Norway.

Mariam JASHI, Chairperson of Education, Science and Culture Committee Parliament of Georgia. Mariam Jashi is the Chairperson of the Education, Science and Culture Committee and a member of the Health and Social Affairs Committee. In 2017-2018 served as the President of the global Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development. As the Deputy Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia Dr. Jashi in 2012-2014 was in charge of Universal Health Care and Hepatitis C Elimination programmes. Apart from high-level experience in Georgian politics, Mariam brings 12 years of management and consultancy experience with UN agencies (UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNDP, UN Women), GAVI Alliance, the Global Fund, UNITAID and the World Bank. She has led resource mobilization and oversight of 105 million USD grants for public health programmes across 19 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, CEE/CIS and Middle East. Dr. Jashi is the Edward S. Mason Fellow of Harvard Kennedy School of Government, holds MPA degree from Harvard University, MD from AIETI Medical University, MPH from Tbilisi State University and post-graduate diplomas from Lund University and University College London.

Longtime advocate Terri Ford has served in many different capacities in her 19-year tenure at AHF. She started her AHF career at Chris Brownie Hospice in the early 1990s as the director of dietary services and moved on to oversee the design and construction of AHF’s state-of-the-art inpatient facility, Linn House. She served as the administrative director of Linn House until being asked to launch a new prevention division, which included the first alternative HIV testing and outreach services of its kind. Under her leadership, AHF’s program became the largest provider of community-based testing in California. In 2001, Ford went to South Africa and created AHF’s first clinic outside the United States. In her current role, Ford directs and coordinates AHF’s worldwide advocacy, global testing and prevention efforts, helping to move the organization to new frontiers in global AIDS control. Ford has been instrumental in building the capacity of the regional bureaus to lead local advocacy efforts, spending substantial time in the field and working hands-on within each region. She has traveled extensively since 2001, advocating for people with HIV in Geneva, Washington and Europe, as well as being deployed more than 30 times to Africa and Asia on assignments. Ford heads AHF’s Testing and Prevention Committee, and is a member of the Global Executive Committee and global ambassador for AHF.