Meaningful Involvement of People with HIV (MIPA) is a set of principles for including people living with HIV in all decisions regarding the HIV epidemic. In the global discourse, MIPA is referred to as the greater involvement of people with HIV(GIPA).
As a community organizer, I have the opportunity to work alongside many interesting people from all over the country, but a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting Marcella Zimmerman, a young advocate for social justice and the health and human right living in my hometown of Kansas City. Marcella has a special concern for young people and works at the intersection of youth and HIV.
I’m continuing a series exploring the relationship between community and public health institutions, with a particular focus on trust. If we have learned nothing else from the Covid-19 pandemic, we have learned that our health is intricately connected with the health of other members of our community. Because of this fact, it is vitally important that communities can trust public health information and interventions enacted by public health institutions.
I’m creating a series exploring the relationship between community and public health institutions, with a particular focus on trust. We depend on public health institutions and decision-makers to create and maintain systems that protect and improve the health of the population. Without these institutions, it would be impossible to predict, prevent, or respond to illnesses impacting populations. However, not all people benefit from public health equally.
Devin Hursey is an advocate for people living with HIV and public health, from Kansas City Missouri, currently pursuing dual master’s degrees in Public Health and strategic communications at the University of Missouri Columbia (graduation date 2023). In 2019, Hursey was honored as one of the 40 under 40 in public health by de Beaumont. Hursey contributes to thebody.com writing on HIV criminalization and the modernization movement, and formerly a member of the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition. Hursey is also a board member of Blaqout KC, and a steering committee member of the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus.
The mission of the Boston Congress of Public Health Thought Leadership for Public Health Fellowship (BCPH Fellowship) seeks to:
It is guided by an overall vision to provide a platform, training, and support network for the next generation of public health thought leaders and public scholars to explore and grow their voice.
