Amina Babirye

I am a Nutrition graduate passionate about global health and social justice. I founded The Health Academy Organisation a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged youth understand the broader determinates of health. I have designed and delivered over 30 workshops covering topics such as nutrition, sexual health etc. and have reached over 15,000 adolescents.

In December 2018 I was invited to present a TEDx talk on the importance of health education in Africa.

In June 2019 I was asked to be an advisory member and secretary of the Ugandan National Healthy Lifestyle Coalition set up by the Parliament of Uganda. This role gave me experience in developing and lobbying for public health-related policies within a global south government.

Since October 2021 I have been serving as Advocacy Officer for STOPAIDS. STOPAIDS is a UK-based HIV, health and human rights advocacy network working on the HIV response to support UK and global movements that challenge the systemic barriers and inequalities preventing people from realising their right to health and wellbeing. In my role, I am responsible for developing and implementing advocacy strategies for the impact areas of ‘quality of life’ and ‘transforming aid, solidarity & development co-operation’.

In this role, I serve as co-chair of the UK Sustainability and Transition (ST) working group. The group's focus is to ensure that the UK Government and multilateral organisations engage in sustainable practices in the allocation and withdrawal of international financing to countries. As co-chair, I lead the design and implementation of the strategy and support members in joint actions. This work has included evidence submissions to the International Development Committee and research into transition outcomes in middle-income countries.

I also coordinate the HIV Quality of Life (QoL) Partnership. In this partnership, I have helped to design quality of life framework that is used to influence multilateral HIV policy. This has included the new World Health Organisation HIV Hepatitis and STD strategy. I have also assisted in the development of a non-communicable disease policy in partnership with NCD Alliance and a mental health and HIV policy in partnership with United for Global Mental Health and GfAN.

I consider myself a lifelong learner. Global health, HIV & AIDS governance and decolonising aid are areas of work I am eager to study and gain more experience in.