Meet Yvette Raphael The Woman Fighting for HIV Justice in South Africa

As international funding for HIV programmes faces renewed threats, South African activist Yvette Raphael is sounding the alarm and demanding dignity, access, and truth for women living with HIV.

In South Africa, where more than 7.8 million(i) people are living with HIV, access to testing, treatment, and support has long been a matter of survival—not privilege. But for women like Yvette Raphael, it’s also a matter of justice.

A leading voice in the fight for HIV rights and the co-founder of Advocacy for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS (APHA), Yvette has spent more than two decades breaking down stigma, confronting systemic neglect, and ensuring that women—especially Black, rural, and marginalised women—are not left behind in the fight.

“We’re not statistics. We’re people. And we deserve to be seen, heard, and supported without shame,” says Raphael. “Too often, women living with HIV are pushed to the margins. I refuse to let that happen.”

Yvette’s work is rooted in her own lived experience. Diagnosed with HIV in her twenties, she made the radical choice to go public in a country where stigma was rife and access to treatment was patchy at best. Since then, she’s become a fierce global advocate, advisor to international health organisations, and a mentor to young women navigating the challenges of living with HIV.

Her activism is as personal as it is political—and that’s exactly what makes her voice so powerful.

For years, South Africa’s HIV response has been bolstered by international partnerships, most notably PEPFAR—the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Since its launch in 2003, PEPFAR has poured billions into South Africa’s public health system, funding antiretroviral drugs, community education, and outreach programmes.

But now, that safety net is under threat.

“We cannot afford to go backwards,” says Tania Joffe, founder of Unu Health, which is spotlighting Yvette’s work this Women’s Month. “We need to support women and initiatives focusing on caring for those with HIV in South Africa.”

Despite scientific advancements and the rollout of ARVs, women—especially Black women—are still disproportionately affected by HIV. According to UNAIDS, young women (aged 15–24) account for over 30% of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa, and many still face immense barriers to care: stigma, gender-based violence, lack of transportation, and limited access to testing.

“If you want to fight HIV, you have to fight poverty, patriarchy, and policy failure at the same time,” says Raphael. “This isn’t just a virus—it’s a social issue.”

Yvette’s advocacy has taken her from rural townships to global health conferences, where she is known for her boldness, honesty, and refusal to let power structures off the hook. Through her work with APHA, she trains community leaders, helps women navigate the healthcare system, and pushes for HIV programmes to reflect the realities of the people they’re meant to serve.

And yet, the fight remains uphill.

“There’s no justice in a system where a woman has to choose between feeding her children and catching a taxi to collect her ARVs,” she says.

As Women’s Month continues, Unu Health is urging all South Africans to pay attention—to Yvette’s story, and to the many women like her who are holding the line for millions.

“We cannot be silent while the future of HIV care hangs in the balance,” says Joffe. “We owe it to the women who built this movement with their bare hands and brave hearts.”

• Educate yourself on the realities of HIV in South Africa.
• Support community-led organisations like APHA.
• Advocate for continued global funding for HIV relief.
• Speak up—because silence, as Yvette says, is a luxury too many can’t afford.

For more on Yvette Raphael’s work, visit apha.org.za or follow her activism via Unu Health’s Women’s Month campaign.

(i) https://www.gov.za/blog/fighting-hiv-and-aids-south-africa