Dr. Keren Middlekoop, Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker, Dr. Danielle Crida, Daniella Mark, Elizabeth Seabe
Pairing community-driven development and internationally acclaimed research, DTHF envisions a brighter future where HIV is manageable and its presence is diminished.
Our future as an organisation holds continual developments in prevention, treatment, and training tactics in order to uplift and empower some of Cape Town's most devastated communities. Specifically, our current goals and objectives include:
- Keeping abreast of new regimes and drugs
- Developing our TB research agenda
- Consolidating our current work and ensuring its sustainability
- Being financially secure
- Having a stable and well resourced headquarters
- Increasing international recognition
- Leaving a legacy to Archbishop Desmond Tutu
DTHF is driven by:
Passion We are committed to saving lives and to improving the quality of life for people, particularly those less privileged and those affected and infected with HIV. All of our research is based on our quest for attaining preventative and curative solutions.
Integrity and honesty Our work is characterised by openness and transparency. We empower communities to make appropriate choices through open dialogue and involvement. They are informed of what can be realistically achieved, and invited to make choices. All participants in trials are fully informed of the risks and of realistic expectations.
Striving for excellence We are dedicated to providing the best possible health education and assistance in acquiring life skills. Our research assesses the effectiveness of the programmes and is conducted to the highest standards.
People first As an organisation we believe we exist to serve people. Supporting communities and individuals' best interests lies at the heart of all of our work.
Confidentiality We recognise that, within the work we do, individuals' confidentiality is paramount. Every possible measure is taken to maintain the confidentiality of the people to whom services are provided.
Respect Respect for the people and communities in which we work, to put them first and to provide them with the best possible services, is an essential component of all programmes and research.
Creativity The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has its origins in being the very first organisation to provide antiretroviral medication in the country, long before this became part of the healthcare basket of services from the public health sector. We utilise the lessons learned from our research to be on the forefront of finding solutions.
Academic sharing As a centre of excellence in HIV research, we believe that through distributing and sharing knowledge we will increase our abilities to deal more effectively with the epidemic. The Foundation and the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre are characterised by their partnerships and collaborations with a host of other institutions performing similar work.
